It'll Be Us
by WanderlustandFreedom
Summary: Mal worked eight years to be queen and gave up countless experiences in the name of love. But Auradon never seems to like her, and things only get harder instead of easier. Revolt is coming to the palace and her mom's name has been branded on top of hers. And not only are people out for her blood, they're out for her family's, too. In the end, all she wants is her own Happy Ending.
1. Chapter 1

"I'll pick you up at five." The text read, ominous and yet still much-anticipated. Mal dropped her bag beside her bedside and opened the text app.

"When will we be back?" She asked.

"I'll bring you home whenever you want to go," Ben responded. "But before nine, otherwise my mom will lay one into me."

Mal frowned. Her thumbs hovered over the screen. "Is something up?" She asked. It wasn't exactly unusual that Ben would leave the end of their dates hanging so that they could drag things out more if wanted, but the implication she would want to go home bothered her.

"Nothing." He told her. "Everything is perfect. But I want to talk with you tonight. About real stuff, not about us." And those words made her heart start to pound.

"Okay." She replied. "I'll see you then."

"Goodbye."

She flopped onto her bed in a mindless daze. The bag full of notes from the meeting she'd just escaped flopped onto the floor. Technically, she was supposed to be filling out a few forms regarding the yearly appraisal conference coming up, but she supposed that would just have to wait. She went to the text stream with her second-most-contacted friend and couldn't stop the smile from slipping onto her face as she relayed the information to Evie.

"Date tonight – Ben says he wants to talk about 'real stuff'. Maybe you were right? ;)" She told her blue-haired friend.

The text went through as read. Mal could imagine Evie squealing in excitement. Three little blinking dots appeared on the opposite side. "OH MY GOSH! I TOTALLY CALLED IT! YOURE GETTING ENGAGED!" Evie exclaimed. "PS Doug is typing because Evie is busy with a dress that's being picked up in fifteen minutes. Congrats! It's been a long time coming."

Maybe Doug was right, and it had been a long time coming. She and Ben had been steadily dating since she was sixteen, fresh from the Isle of the Lost. That was eight years. And then seven and a half years of meetings with dignitaries, traveling across Auradon with Ben, trying not to spit hot, spicy, disgusting foods out when she tried them and really, learning to be Auradon's future queen had all led up to this moment. All that was left was a rock, a dress, a couple of vows and a paper with both of their signatures, and she'd be with her true love forever, even though she did technically have to share him with his kingdom. The 'other woman' in Ben's life could be very demanding and… hectic.

"Thank you." She responded. "I find it funny how you left out your apostrophe in Evie's text. Did she tell you to do that?"

"You better believe she instructed me on every angle of formatting in that text," Doug replied under Evie's name. "Make it all caps, spell everything right except for don't you dare put in the apostrophe in 'you're'."

"You'd think you'd know how to text for Evie after all these years." Mal laughed. "You've been married for two years." She followed this up with: "Ask her what I should wear. I don't know where we're going yet."

"You're going to make me ask her most fashionablest what you should wear without knowing what you're going to be doing?" Doug asked. "She'll have an aneurysm."

"Please?" Mal asked.

Doug didn't respond for about a minute, and then his reply read: "She has placed ten bucks on him taking you back to the Enchanted Lake and wants you to wear your ripped pants and your net jacket over a purple shirt of your choice. Put a chain around your neck in case you need to take his ring off for any reason so you can hang it there. ;) ;)."

"Please tell her most fasionablest that she's the best and I'll let her know how it goes. Thanks, Doug!" Mal smiled. She swung her legs off her bed and plugged her phone in on the bedside table. A giddy feeling filled her. She flung open the curtains looking out over the palace grounds. The sun was shining over the beautiful September day. This was finally it. All the stress and the worry and… this was it. Or rather, could be it. It could be the day that she was proposed to. Which really, a ring at this point was only like she was being given permission to stay with him forever. A happily ever after. She bit her lip in excitement and let out a wide laugh as she turned and flung open her closet doors. Nothing could touch her tonight. Everything was perfect.

* * *

She felt like she was sixteen again as she opened the door and let out a soft breath. Ben's gentle knock had scarcely finished echoing around her room when she twisted the handle and was suddenly staring into the bluest eyes she'd ever seen. Her breath left her behind, gasping as he broke out into a smile. "Wow." He smiled. "This feels like…"

"When you picked me up for the first time from Auradon Prep?" Mal interrupted with a smile.

"Yeah." Ben agreed. He held up a helmet from under her arm. "Fitting, because I thought it might be fun to take a walk down memory lane. Do you still like bikes?"

Mal's smile stretched across her face even more. They were going back to their Auradon days? The chances of a proposal seemed more probable than ever. She reached out to take the helmet from him and turned to shut the door. "Lead the way." She smiled. Ben put an arm around her shoulders with a bright smile.

Eight years. This had been her life for eight years. Maleficent was still a lizard, Isle kids were still slowly being brought over, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were still her best friends, and she was happy being with Ben. For all the stresses of trying to be the person Ben and Auradon needed, there were rewards in all the quiet moments of their relationship. And these small things, these small moments with Ben were what were really driving her through every meeting, every responsibility. Because she knew what they had was real and she knew that eventually, if she bore through it, she'd get her happily-ever-after with him.

Ben's blue moped was parked out in the palace visitor parking lot. The license plate read: 'LIL BST', for 'Little Beast'. It made her smile every time she saw it. Ben helped her up and together they drove off of the palace grounds, pausing only to have their Palace ID's scanned as they left so that the guards knew the King and the Official Lady of the Court had left.

Mal had been living in the palace ever since Evie and Doug had gotten married two years ago. Before, they had shared an apartment in Auradon city, in between Evie's 4 Hearts shop and the palace, where Mal worked with the court council and as the First Lady of Auradon most days. Jay and Carlos had lived a few floors down until Carlos and Jane married and Carlos got to move back to Auradon Prep to teach. Jay coached professional tourney and Lonnie, his longtime fiancée, coached Auradon Accelerated's college Swords and Shields team.

"Did your mom forgive you for getting back late last time?" Mal called over the wind as Ben took them down a long road with trees lining the road. She recognized it faintly.

"She's still a bit upset about it," Ben called back. "She and Dad said I showed you disrespect by putting you in a position to stay out that late."

"Tough crowd." Mal laughed, putting her arms closer around him and leaning her chin on his shoulder. "You'd think that being twenty-four, they'd have stopped telling you how to date people. And you, show disrespect? Never."

Ben laughed. "It's just because I'm king," He reminded her. "I have to treat the people I date in a certain way. No funny business."

Mal laughed. Her heart started to thump erratically in her chest. She watched the sun, still relatively high in the sky, filter through the leaves of the trees as they passed in dizzying patterns. Flowers began to appear by the wayside, and suddenly they were coming up on a familiar welcoming office.

"Auradon Prep?" Mal asked as Ben carefully began to navigate them to the student parking section in front. They found a place in the back, near the exit, and Ben helped her off.

"Yeah," He replied, tucking her hand into the crook of his arm like he was leading her into some sort of social function. "I told you, I want to take a walk down memory lane today." He patted her hand softly and Mal smiled. She took a quick second to make sure her multiple ID's and Passes were still securely in the plastic pocket on the inside of her jacket and followed him as he led her around to the front circle.

"So this-" He began, releasing her arm and taking a few steps towards the flower beds in front. "Is where I was standing, waiting for the limo that was bringing you from the Isle. And when I saw it, I moved back behind Fairy Godmother, completely panicking." He looked back at Mal, who chuckled at him. "And then-" He continued, taking her hand again and pulling her forward in the driveway, placing her near the pathway leading to the front doors. The statue of King Beast, or Adam, as Mal knew him, stood behind him. "This is where you were when I shook your hand for the very first time." He whispered.

"It was," Mal recalled with a smile. "Jay had just punched you."

Ben nodded with a wince. "He had." He agreed. "I remember I had to gasp for breath just a little."

"You handled it well." Mal complimented him. "None of us even knew you were nervous. You were very charismatic."

"Thank you." Ben smiled. They paused for a second to stare at each other before Mal let out a short laugh.

"You hesitated - do you remember?" She asked, gesturing to where they stood. "You shook my hand, and your smile dropped and you looked at me for, like, half of a second, and then you came straight back to life and went to shake Carlos's hand as if nothing had happened."

"This is a momentous occasion!" Ben repeated with a sheepish smile. "And he had chocolate on his hands too… I remember that quite clearly." Mal began to laugh as she remembered. She had no idea how it had managed to stay stuck to his hands as he and Jay had fought over that whatever-it-was, but it had. "You took your hand away, do you remember?" Ben prodded her side. "You kind of-" He remade the motion with his hands. "Stuck it straight up towards the sky, like that."

Ben took her arm as she nodded to his words, laughing. He led her back toward the statue of his dad and carefully clapped. The statue was in Beast form, but it shifted to Man as the sound echoed around the pavilion. "And here," Ben paused and looked at Mal with a smile. "Do you remember?"

"I asked if your dad sheds." Mal laughed. "And you said: 'yeah, mom won't let him on the couch'." She wrapped her arms around her chest as she laughed. Ben nodded along with a bright smile.

"Having a good time?" A voice came from behind them. Mal turned around to see Fairy Godmother heading down the steps. She walked with back pain but remained as charismatic as ever. She was still Headmistress, but Jane was often handling the running of the school nowadays as the Fairy Godmother's body began to slow down on her a little.

The Fairy Godmother curtseyed a little as she neared them. "Are we going back in time, a little?" She asked with a smile.

"Just a little," Ben assured her as he put an arm around Mal's shoulders. "How are you, Fairy Godmother?"

"I'm well," The Fairy Godmother assured them with a smile. "I just came down to tell you that the rooms you asked after are open."

"Fantastic," Ben smiled. "We should go." He turned to Mal with a smile. "Do you remember the way to your old dorm?" He asked.

Mal's mouth fell open a little. "Well, I should hope so," She gasped. "Thank you, Fairy Godmother, it was lovely to see you again."

"You as well, dear. I wish you and Ben every happiness." The older woman smiled. Ben and Mal curtseyed to her and then turned to walk inside the building.

"In here," Mal began as they walked through the entryway, "You stopped the tour and brought Doug down. And you focused on me and started saying that we could come and ask you if we needed anything, and Audrey…" She broke off, laughing.

"She totally interrupted me!" Ben grumbled. "I was so embarrassed…" He trailed off, shaking his head.

"It's fine," Mal assured him, laying a hand on his chest for a quick second. "Here, we're to the right." She paused in front of a heavy oak door and tried the lock. As promised, it was open. The door swung wide and Ben fumbled on the wall for a light. The room came to life, and Mal took a deep breath. Everything was almost exactly as she remembered it. Their dresser, the two beds laid at the same angle, the desk where Evie used to make her dresses and do her homework(and, briefly, Chad's), everything felt like she was stepping into the past. She ran a hand along the place where her mother's terrarium used to sit with a smile. "You picked me up from here, but that's not what comes to my mind the most." She laughed. "Do you remember when I asked you about your coronation, and you said only your girlfriend could be up front with you, and I closed the door in your face?" She asked with a laugh.

"It wasn't exactly like that." Ben rolled his eyes. "But in hindsight, you weren't very subtle." He watched as she walked around the room with a happy smile on her face. When she was done, they flipped off the light and shut the door behind them. "And also-" Ben smiled, trying the door next to theirs. It swung open, and Mal took a peek inside Jay and Carlos's room.

"Oh, this was where we did all of our schemings!" She exclaimed with a laugh. "The very first night here, I yelled at them all because they weren't taking their mission seriously enough. And Carlos found us directions to the museum in here, I decided to break your love spell, we accidentally charmed Dude to talk, and the 3D printer-" Mal set a hand on a large table in the center of the room with a wistful smile. "-was right here." She proclaimed.

Ben nodded with a smile at all of her words. "You forgot that Chad was suspended for sneaking into here." He added. Mal threw back her head and laughed at the memories.

They wandered the campus, sneaking past old classrooms and the gym where the Jewel Ceremony, Graduation, and the Neon Lights Ball had happened. They paused a bit longer at Mal's old locker, which the Fairy Godmother had made her paint back over before she'd left, and remembered through laughter the times he'd cornered her there.

"And before you went to the Isle, when your hair was blonde-" Ben laughed. "-I showed up and you jumped! Like, I actually scared you."

"Ugh." Mal groaned. "You know, Dizzy told me she couldn't tell where my face ended and my hair began." Ben burst into laughter at the description and nodded sheepishly through the tears. "That bad?" She asked.

"God, I was devastated when you told me you dyed it." Ben shook his head, tucking an arm around her. "Please, don't ever change." He kissed her cheek as she gave a soft chuckle. "Okay, one more place and then let's go get dinner." He told her. "Can you guess?" He asked.

Mal considered. They'd been to the front, to their old dorms, to their lockers and classrooms. The only place left besides family day lawn, which she doubted Ben would want to take her to, was the tourney field.

She cast a sideways smirk at him. "You're pretty ridiculous." She told him.

Ben laughed. "I'm glad you caught on." He told her, picking up her hand and heading in the direction if the field.

It was lush green and the kill zone had recently been painted over. Unlike the other places on campus, students were hanging around in groups and on dates, walking around the field and laughing with each other. It didn't seem that long ago that she had been one of them with Ben, but even her year's freshmen had left by this point.

Ben started humming his song as their hands swung back and forth between each other. Mal spared him a pitiful groan as she watched the sun creep a little closer to the horizon. Sunset would be starting soon, and it was only seven-thirty. Winter was on its way, and the days were growing shorter.

"You know, we've come a long way," Ben whispered in her ear as a group of students noticed them with wide eyes and began yanking on each other's sleeves and pointing.

"I keep thinking about the same thing." Mal smiled. Ben stopped and pivoted to face her. He took her hands and leaned in to kiss her quickly. His breath warmed her lips, which she hadn't even realized were getting cold. He leaned his forehead against hers and smiled.

"You know, people have been calling you my future wife for a few years," Ben whispered. Her heart sped up and she let her tongue moisten her lower lip as she sucked in a breath.

"Doesn't sound too bad to me." She told him. Was this it? Was this the moment?

Ben swallowed and leaned back. A smile was creeping over his face. "No, it doesn't." He agreed, dropping one of her hands as they continued walking. "People used to say the same thing about Audrey, back when she and I dated. She didn't ahem, take it like you do though."

Mal frowned. She hadn't seen Audrey since she'd graduated Auradon Prep and gone straight into the legislative branch of government to follow Ben. She was pretty sure that Audrey had eventually married Chad though. Or maybe someone from Auradon City. She couldn't honestly remember. "Did she… take it badly?" She asked.

It was pretty clear the moment had been broken, and Mal was a little disappointed. However, she knew one thing, and it was that if you're talking about his ex-girlfriend who tried to sabotage your relationship with him several times, he's probably not going to propose right at that second.

"Not exactly." Ben shook his head. "Rather she took it a bit too… well?" He shifted uncomfortably. "It was weird. I remember I was fifteen and we were walking down the school hallway together, and someone yelled: 'look, it's Prince Beast and Queenie!' and she kind of… preened?"

Mal burst out laughing at his uncomfortable description. "Really?" She asked. "Like, what did she do?"

"I can't even describe it." Ben shook his head. "She puffed out her chest and kind of wiggled her shoulders a bit and then I noticed as we kept walking that she was flicking her toes out and her chin was held really high and..." He trailed off with an eye-roll. "She made me feel like she liked the idea of me rather than who I really was."

"Well, here's a memory for you." Mal stopped dead center in front of the bleachers and gestured to the ground. "You broke up with her right here, on this very patch of ground. You spelled my name and told me you loved me, and she ran off the field crying."

Ben winced. "I still blame your spell for that." He told her. "And you're always so embarrassed when I mention the musical number – has it occurred to you that you practically orchestrated it?" He elbowed her coyly.

"You were not supposed to go nuts." Mal shook her head. "The whole… singing my name and then dumping Audrey… was not supposed to happen like that."

"Well, love spells amplify already existing feelings," Ben informed her with a smile. "Really, all you had to have done was communicate effectively and I could have broken up with her in a way that didn't leave our graduating class reliving the memory eight years later and you could have gone to Coronation with me anyways."

"They amplify… was that really it?" Mal's cheeks turned bright red. "I had no idea."

Ben burst into laughter. "Yeah." He told her. "That's why I was so… wild. I was already crushing on you, and then you spelled me."

"Ah." Mal laughed. They made it to the end of the tourney field and Mal's stomach let out a short series of incomprehensible noises. Ben laughed and linked their arms together.

"I have a pass-by stop to go by, and then we'll go get dinner and I'll take you home." He promised.

"Take me home as in take me to the palace home, or take me home as in take me home – _home?"_ Mal asked with a smirk.

Ben frowned at her. "You know I can't do that, Mal." He told her firmly. Then, with a sigh, he murmured: "But… we do need to have a talk." He patted her arm and began to lead her back to the moped in the student parking lot. Mal said another wistful goodbye to Auradon Prep, thanking it for all the help it had given her, and soon they were speeding away.

Their pass-by stop was notable for maybe the most pivotal event in their relationship, and yet they didn't spare it a proper stop. Mal was burying her face into Ben's back to shield her face from the nippy wind when Ben took a hand off the handlebars to pat her knee and pointed towards his left. The Auradon Cathedral was passing. The sunset was causing the stained-glass windows set in the front of the ancient building to refract, sending beautiful lights every which way. Mal smiled as she recalled what had happened there – Maleficent appearing as she and her friends chose good, turning her mother into a lizard, admitting to herself that Ben made her happier than ruling the world did. In hindsight, either option gave her power – girlfriend of the King of Auradon or Daughter of Maleficent. She was much happier with the choice she'd made, however.

As the cathedral disappeared behind them, Mal covered her face back up and listened to the thrum of Ben's heart and the buzzing of the moped beneath them. The engine was keeping her legs warm through her ripped jeans. She sighed and curled her arms tighter around Ben, and heard him let out a little, content breath.

The sounds of Auradon city quieted and grew nonexistent before the moped slowed back down to cruising speed. Mal unhid her face and watched the vibrant colors of the sunset paint the sky as the cityscape slowly turned into a forest. And something in her gut was telling her to get ready because Evie was going to get ten dollars off of this.

"I thought we were going to dinner?" Mal asked as Ben parked and began to guide her down the trail towards the rope bridge that stretched across the Green Canyon where the Enchanted Lake lay.

"We are," Ben answered. "We're just not going to a restaurant. I don't want to be bombarded by press tonight."

Tonight, tonight. The words hummed into Mal's bones and she shivered a little in excitement. "Are you cold?" Ben asked.

"No." Mal shook her head. "I just haven't been here in a while. It's exciting."

"It is." Ben laughed. They crossed the rope bridge, pausing a moment to recall their conversation on middle names from years ago, and then reached the other side safely. Ben pressed a kiss to the side of her head.

"Are you going to make me cover my eyes?" Mal asked as they neared the lake.

Ben shook his head. "Go on." He told her. "You know the way." He dug his hands into his pockets as a lump formed in Mal's throat. She hurried her pace ahead of him, not daring to look back. What if he had put a ring somewhere in the ruins? Or what if he had it on him and wanted her to hurry ahead so she didn't see him getting ready with it?

She rounded the corner and let out a breath. Just as it had been on their first date, the enchanted lake's ruins were covered with a perfect-looking picnic spread. Sitting on top of the basket was a glass bowl full of strawberries, just for her. She turned around with a bright smile to Ben, whose hands were still in his pockets as he walked towards her. He looked a bit nervous. "Do you like it?" He asked as he chewed on his lip a little bit. "I know it's a bit cheesy, but I wanted to bring you here again."

"I love it." Mal gasped. "But now I owe Evie ten dollars. She bet you'd bring me here tonight." She reached down and took his hand. "It is a bit cheesy, though." She teased. "Bringing us all the way back to where we started."

Ben met her eyes. Mal chewed on her cheek. If ever there was a perfect time to propose, it would be now, so they could talk about it after dinner. Would he maybe wait until after dinner? Or maybe when he took her back to her room?

Realization suddenly flashed through Ben's eyes. He frowned and squeezed her hand. "Mal, I'm not proposing tonight." He told her blatantly, honestly.

Mal felt like she'd just taken a plunge in the lake. Her heart plummeted into her feet. "Oh." She exhaled before she could stop herself. A red tone tinged itself onto her cheeks. "Then… what's all this?" She gestured around them.

Ben let out a sigh. "I need to have a very important conversation with you." He told her. "Can you – can you sit down?"

He guided Mal to the ruins and helped her sit down on one side of the basket before he took a seat beside her. Mal took the strawberries, feeling very put-out. Ben cleared his throat. "I'm sorry if I got your hopes up or anything," Ben whispered with a blush. "I'm just nervous about this and I felt like the reminders of everything we've been through would make it easier – hopefully on you – but also on me."

"It's fine," Mal replied, though her heart was still beating a bit fast from her scare.

Ben cleared his throat and threaded his fingers together. "We've been dating for eight years, which is a long time. We've been through Coronation, Cotillion, the Barrier Breach, and all the crazy things that have happened since. And I know it hasn't been easy for you. But you took everything in stride, even when things got rough. You held my back, fought your own battles, stayed out of the tabloids, everything. You've been an excellent Lady of the Court and an even better girlfriend, and I want to thank you for all that." He looked up and waited for her reaction.

Mal's fingers had frozen on one of her strawberries. "Are you… breaking up with me?" She asked suddenly.

"No." Ben shook his head immediately, his eyes wide. "No, not at all. Actually, I want to take things to a higher level. And it's not just me either. Auradon has been wondering where we're going to go since we went on our first date, Evie, Jay, and Carlos have been taking digs and making threats for years, and my parents want me to make things official now." He took a deep breath. "So I'm here tonight to ask if you want me to propose, or if we should break this off. I need to know because I have to marry for the crown as much as I have to marry for love."

Mal's mouth went dry and her head spun. She put her bowl aside, feeling a bit sick. "I… don't understand." She whispered.

"I can't date around anymore." Ben sighed. "Auradon wants a queen, not a long-time girlfriend. My parents think the longer I date you without bringing this up, the crueler it will be. The fact is, Mal, if you don't want to consider marriage with me, I can't afford to date you anymore for the sake of Auradon." He coughed, and a couple of tears appeared in his eyes. "I'm sorry that sounds so cruel." He whispered. "But I need to know – would it be okay for me to propose to you, or is that not something you're going to be okay with?"

Mal let out a breath. It was as if her head had been shoved underwater. She planted her hands into the ground to steady herself as her thoughts spun. "No, I understand." She agreed. "You're the king. You have to make executive decisions, and who you're with is definitely something that requires a lot of thought." She let out a breath, meeting his eyes as he braced himself – squaring his shoulders and pinching his lips together. "I'm okay." She whispered. "I mean – I'm ready. You make me happy – I want to be with you for the rest of my life. You're my happily-ever-after."

Ben hid his face in his hands and let out a colossal sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god." He whispered. "I was worried that like, the idea would scare you off or something."

"No." Mal shook her head. "Evie and I – we've actually been talking about it a lot."

"Evie?" Ben asked with a smile. "Well then, I guess I have to be really sneaky so that you don't see when it's coming." His smile faded a little. "But, that's not the end of it." He admitted, reaching across the picnic basket for her hands. She surrendered them to him, and he squeezed her knuckles carefully. "Marrying me comes with a price." He warned. "I need a partner – someone to help me out with work. You'd become the Queen of Auradon."

Mal took a deep breath. To be honest, queendom wasn't something she wanted to deal with. She hated the tabloids and the press, hated the dresses and the drafty castle. If only she could have Ben without his crown. But, unfortunately, this was his calling. "I understand." She murmured.

"The Queen has a lot of responsibilities. All those meetings that you haven't had to deal with because 'they're not for you'?" Ben whispered. "You'd have to go to those now. You'll probably be as packed as I am. And, as you know, I can't exactly go anywhere I want. Your every move will be tracked by the press or by the palace guards. And your phone will be tracked by guards too."

"I can deal with that." Mal agreed though she grit her teeth at the blatant invasion of her privacy.

"The Queen is kind of expected, in all of the kingdoms, to get really into some sort of charity work, usually involving kids or women. And you wouldn't be able to talk about lots of stuff – even to Jay, Evie, and Carlos, because I would be discussing confidential, national secrets with you. All of the palace servants answer to you and you're in charge of making updates to palace décor and the gardens, and of hosting whenever there are large parties held at the palace."

"I can get Evie to help me with some of that, can't I?" Mal asked with a frown.

Ben nodded slowly. "Yes, and I'll be there as well." He cleared his throat and continued. "If things happen to go bad in the country, like an economic downturn or something, we might be blamed, and our names smeared a little. That happened to me last year when the crops off the Weasleton river failed, remember?"

"It's not like I'm not used to people smearing my name." Mal shrugged. The more she listened, the more confident she felt she could handle it all. "What else?"

"Not much." Ben replied in a strangled tone. He looked happy she was agreeing so far but inherently distressed at the same time. "You could be sent away on business calls, you won't be allowed to handle certain substances, cyanide pills are off the top of my head, but you won't have a problem with those, and you'll have to appear beside me with every royal announcement I make henceforth, and your name will be on all those documents until you're not queen anymore. Do you know how there's a blank line on every law I issue? That's where the queen would sign if I had one." He took a deep breath and waited for her reaction.

Mal processed everything. It didn't seem that hard. Annoying, for sure, but if she got to be with Ben, it would be okay. He would help her learn to do it all, and eventually, they'd both step down and everything would be okay. She straightened her spine. "Okay." She told him. "I'm ready. Is that everything?"

Ben was chewing on his lower lip again as he watched her. "You don't have to agree so suddenly." He whispered. "I'm kind of… briefing you on everything so you have time to think about it. And… I understand if it scares you."

"I can handle it all," Mal replied firmly. "Is there anything else?"

Ben straightened his back a little too and exhaled. "Okay." He whispered. "The last one is the big, non-negotiable one." He warned. Then, without meeting her eyes, he began to explain. "We're the elected monarchy, and we rule Auradon. As King, it's my job to keep the kingdom going after I die. I have to father a child. If you become queen, at some point, you'll also become a mother. Can you handle that?"

Father… mother… child. Mal's mind disintegrated into a blind panic and she pulled her hands out of Ben's with wide, wide eyes. Her mouth opened against her will and two words tumbled out of her lips. "Oh, God." She gasped. "Oh, God."

* * *

Ben couldn't hide the immediate pain on his face. "Well." He sighed, looking away and closing his eyes. "That was received well."

"Wait." Mal gasped. Goosebumps had arisen on her arms and cold sweat was pouring down her neck. "S-slow down." She pressed her fingertips to her head and took several slow, deep breaths. "I-I don't know. Gods, I don't know. I just – I can't-"

"Calm down." Ben sighed. He reached over and put a hand on her shoulder. He couldn't meet her gaze as tears prickled his eyes. "Listen, you don't have to give me a decision tonight. And that was it. You have all the information now." He sighed and ran a hand through his ragged hair. "Let's just…" He clenched his eyes shut. "Let's just go back to the palace now, before it gets dark." He decided. "We can take the basket with us." He got to his feet, digging his hands deep into his pockets, but Mal couldn't stand. Her hands, her knees, everything was shaking. He carefully slid the strawberries into her hands and then into the basket. He helped her up, not commenting on how pasty white she'd gone. He folded the checkered blanket up, and put it underneath the handles of the basket, all without a word. Then, he leaned over the lake and buttoned his sleeve up before reaching into the shallows to pull something out. "Here." He whispered in a rough tone, passing it to Mal. It wasn't a ring – it was a glowing white rock. She took it – her hands were still shaking – and pressed it to her lips.

_Make a wish and throw it back into the lake._

Dear God, she thought, if you're anywhere you can hear me, please help me. She tossed it back into the waters with a splash. Ben rebuttoned his sleeves up and didn't meet her eyes as he picked up the basket and offered her his arm. She carefully put her hand on his elbow. He pulled out his phone for a flashlight on the trails in the fading light and they made the journey up to his moped in completely stifling silence. Mal was trying hard not to cry.

He helped her up onto his bike, like always, and she carefully put her arms around his waist, though she didn't try to hard to hold on.

The journey back to the palace felt like it took years. They checked their ID's in at the gates thirty-two minutes before Belle's curfew, and Ben walked her back to her room. They stood outside the door in awful claustrophobia.

"I'm sorry." She whispered in the dark of her doorway, listening to him shift his feet back and forth.

"Not your fault." He whispered back. He took a hesitant step forward and brought his hand up to rest on her jaw. Carefully, he kissed her. It felt dry and angsty. Mal shriveled at the idea that this could be it - her last kiss with Ben. After eight wonderful years and all the work they'd both put into this relationship, this could be where it ended. Suddenly, tears were stinging her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She repeated, backing into her doorknob and wiping tears from her eyes. "I'm sorry."

Ben didn't say anything as she quickly composed herself. When the tears and frantic movements turned into hiccups and red eyes, he let out a sigh. "Think on it." He whispered. "And no matter what ends up happening, you know you'll always be my one true love."

That line did her in. His one true love? And yet she might have just broken everything. If she couldn't deal with this, he'd have to marry someone else - someone who could rule Auradon and advise him and have a child with him. More tears stung her eyes as she imagined Ben staring at her across the room with a new woman and a child in between them. Oh God, Oh, God.

She wrenched the doorknob open with a quick: "Goodnight." Ben didn't have time to return the sentiment before she shut the door, clicked the lock, and slid down the length of the door. Tears ran down her face as she shuddered and cried. She was positive Ben could hear her through the door, but she hoped he would walk away so she could settle this information herself.

She reached down and carefully undid the laces on her shoes, feeling the immediate relief on her feet as she pried off the leather. She felt exactly like she had when Ben had discovered she'd been using the spellbook back in her Junior Year if Auradon Prep, leading up to her cotillion. "I thought we were in this together!" His words echoed in her head. And again, Mal bowed her head in shame.

Kids... kids... kids. Gods, how could she pull that off? Good luck finding a spell to help with this, she told herself. Her mother was the mistress of all evil, a mischievous abuser of people, and Auradon expected her to rear a future monarch? And that meant she'd have to learn how to hold them and care for them and then there was the actual thing about having kids... her brain felt like it was about to explode. She peeled off her net jacket and her jeans, leaving her tank-top on, and wandered through the darkness(she hadn't bothered to turn on the light) to her bed. She tripped over her meeting notes and cursed - she was supposed to have sent a page of those to Doug's cousin. She fumbled her phone on the plug and collapsed into bed with more tears filling her eyes as she cried away all her makeup, cried for a disastrous night, and cried for what very well might have been the loss of the love of her life.

* * *

"How did it go last night?" Evie asked bright and early the next morning as Mal sat at her desk in her room and ate breakfast. Mal winced - the lights and the sound of the phone made her head spin - and squinted at the message.

"Absolutely horrible. You have no idea." She replied.

"He didn't propose?" Evie exclaimed. A shocked emoji followed through.

"He sort of started to but no, he didn't," Mal admitted dejectedly. She hesitated before she carefully admitted the truth: "Evie… I think we broke up."

"No," Evie responded immediately. "No." "No."

Mal's lower lip trembled and she slumped forward as more tears burned her eyes. "Evie, I blew it really bad. I need some help. Can you help me?" She begged.

"Don't you have that meeting with the Council of Auroria today?" Evie asked. Mal groaned and glanced at the clock. It was in an hour and fifteen minutes… and Ben would be stuck in a separate meeting with Cinderellasburg representatives.

"I completely forgot," Mal replied to Evie. "God, I don't think I can do this."

"Yeah, you're not going to that meeting." Evie decided for her. "Stay where you are. I'm on my way. I'll call Ben and bribe him into excusing you. He'll probably understand. Be there in thirty."

Mal couldn't put her thanks into words, so she just shut off her phone and turned the lights off again. She closed the curtains for extra darkness and sniffled as she curled up on her bed. The world was disintegrating around her, and she wasn't quite sure how to catch the pieces as they slipped through her hands.

* * *

The voices behind the clamor of knocks indicated that Evie had not come alone. Mal dragged herself out of bed and towards the door as someone let out a yelp and undid the lock. The door swung open of its own accord and Carlos peeked around the door. "Holy Isle and Auradon," He chorused loudly. "You look like a brick wall fell on top of you."

"Open the door, Carlos," Evie demanded loudly from just out of sight. Mal laughed at them and stepped back so the door could swing back and hit the wall. Jay, Evie, and Carlos stood behind it.

Carlos was wearing blue jeans and an Isle jacket with his headphones and a fancy new watch on his wrist. Jay was dressed in athletic wear with a beanie slouching low over his eyes, and behind them, Evie was wearing a blue blouse with a plaited skirt. Clutched in her hands was a collection of chocolate-covered strawberries.

"You guys can come in." Mal cleared her throat. It cracked as she spoke, and she became desperately aware she needed water. Evie pursed her lips as everyone went inside. Jay locked the door behind them.

"You look awful," Evie muttered, setting the strawberries into Mal's hands and steering her to her unmade bed. "And you're dehydrated. I'm having Lumiere bring up two pitchers of water." Evie swiped Mal's phone and punched in a password.

Carlos grabbed the chair from Mal's desk and sat down backwards in it, letting his arms rest on the back of the chair. He squinted at Mal's hands. "Still no ring?" He asked. "Jane swore it was going to be last night. Ben called ahead to Fairy Godmother for a favor and everything."

"Apparently everything went pear-shaped." Evie sighed, turning off Mal's phone and dropping it and her purse on Mal's pillow. She sat down next to Mal as Jay pushed a little table over to sit on. Evie patted Mal's arm. "What did you mean he almost proposed?"

"He almost-" Carlos began, but Jay leaned over and smacked his arm. Carlos fell silent as Mal sniffled and began to scrub at her eyes.

"We went back to Auradon Prep and walked around all the places we liked to hang out. He got Fairy Godmother to open our old dorms so I could see everything, and we walked by my locker and the tourney field, and then we drove past the cathedral and we went down to the place where we had our first date." Mal took a deep breath and turned to Evie. "Yeah, I owe you ten bucks." She sighed. "It was super romantic and everything, and then out of the blue he goes: 'I'm not proposing tonight.'"

Jay took in a gentle hiss of breath. Mal swallowed and began to move her hands as she spoke. "But he started asking me all these questions. Apparently, his parents and Auradon want him to stop dating around and find a queen for Auradon already, and he wants it to be me. So, he asked if marriage was a thing I could do, and I told him yes."

Evie took in a little breath before Mal continued. "So he broke down all the responsibilities of the queen and I was handling it pretty well until-" She choked. "He told me that I'd have to have a kid with him. And I jumped back and freaked out, and I couldn't answer, and so he took me home and we ended early."

"But… why does it matter?" Carlos asked, confused. "You guys are in love. Just because you don't want kids doesn't mean you can't marry him."

"Oh no, Carlos." Evie shook her head, sending worried glances to Mal. "The Royals don't work like that. Let me guess; even though you're his true love, he'll still be forced to find someone else if you say no?"

At her words, Carlos and Jay straightened up in ready defense of her. Mal gasped as more hot tears stabbed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah. If I can't be his queen… he still has to find someone to help him take care of Auradon." She wiped her lashes and came away with black fingers. "I don't know what to do." She moaned. "I never thought about this and I'm scared and-"

"Let me get this straight," Jay interrupted. All eyes flew to him as he popped the joints in his knuckles, one by one. "You didn't answer Ben because you're afraid of being a mom? Is that it?"

"No." Mal shook her head. "Well, yes, maybe. I don't know. That's just so much responsibility and I don't really want a kid and-" She broke off into little sobs. "Why can't I just marry him and stay with him forever? Isn't that enough?"

"Mal, you have like twenty years to have a kid. Just because it's a no now doesn't mean it will still be a no in ten years," Jay deadpanned.

"But what if I'm never ready?" Mal gasped. "And I can't raise a prince or a princess with my mom as my example… I'll destroy Auradon."

"With Ben helping you out?" Jay squinted at her. "You'll be either terribly lucky or incredibly unlucky if any kid of his and yours so much as glares at someone in their entire life. And, I'm sorry, you've been dating for eight years. Did this seriously never occur to you?"

"No," Mal shook her head miserably. And really, she supposed, it should have occurred to her. 'Hey, Auradon is an inherited Monarchy. Ben got his parent's throne, and his children will get his throne. Oh, wait, he'll have children, with his wife, which is what I'm trying to become.'

"How could this never have occurred to you?" Jay asked. "Mal, he's the _King_ of Auradon. What were you expecting?"

"I don't know!" Mal snapped. "I don't know anything; I don't even know how to fix this!" She stared at her hands as if they had betrayed her. "I think I must have just... blocked it out. Like, I didn't want it to happen, so I just ignored it so hard I forgot about it and now I _really _have to acknowledge it."

"Well, that's easy," Jay scoffed. "You got to go tell him you're good and get over whatever this is."

"Jay, it's not that simple-" Evie started to say, but Jay cut her off.

"No, I'm serious," He snapped. "Mal, do you love him?" He asked, staring intently at her.

"Of course, I do," Mal whispered. "You know I do."

"Can you see yourself ever being happy without him?" Jay pressed. Again, Mal shook her head forlornly.

"Then I don't know what you're doing here," Jay shrugged, leaning back on the table. "He's not going to stop being king, so you might as well step to the plate. You've already done tons to keep him, and heaven knows he's probably broken a lot of the laws he's supposed to be upholding to keep you. If this is a thing that has to happen, get it done. Not like you haven't seen it all anyway. He's your true love, so it'll all be worth it in the end."

"I don't know if I'm strong enough for this one though," Mal sighed. "This is something I never thought I would have to deal with."

"Well, then you must be strong enough to lose him," Carlos mumbled. He glanced between his three friends sheepishly. "Jay's right, Mal. I mean, I get you're scared but… shouldn't you be more scared you'll lose him? Besides, it's not like this all has to happen tomorrow. Jane and I have been married, like, three years and we don't have kids."

"Really, what's the worst that could happen?" Jay asked with a sigh. "You marry the love of your life, spend a few blissful years as half of the most powerful couple in Auradon, punch out one or two offspring for the sanity and wellbeing of the kingdom, and eventually step down and voila! Happily-ever-after until death do you part."

Mal flinched at Jay's description of her and Ben having children and began to chew on her lip. She turned her eyes downcast and stared at the carpet on the floor. Evie began to rub her arm gently as Jay let out a long-suffering sigh.

"Or," He continued. "You tell him no, he says a heartful goodbye, he eventually marries someone else to prevent upheaval in Auradon, has children with her, and you're stuck as a permanent fixture of the court, watching those kids grow up, working with him as nothing more than an advisor while he and you and everyone knows that you're each other's true loves. Maybe you'll eventually quit the court, but that won't stop everyone in Auradon from talking about you two for the rest of your life and asking: 'Why didn't he marry her?' 'What went wrong?' So, between the two, Mal, which one sounds like an 'I don't know if I'm strong enough for this one' answer?"

"Jay!" Evie hissed. "You need to be more gentle."

"No, she needs to pick up her feet." Jay shook his head. He put a heavy hand on Mal's shoulder. "You've given up eight years, countless tears, hours of time, memory, stress, money, work, everything into this. Are you really going to let this one thing stand in the way of your happily-ever-after?"

Mal sniffled and shook her head. Evie and Carlos let out twin sighs of relief and Jay gave a curt nod. "That's our girl," He affirmed. A knock sounded at the door behind him and echoed around the room. Jay turned and went to open the door. For a moment, Mal worried that it was Ben, but Lumiere appeared in her view instead, holding two crystal pitchers of water and a small stack of cups that he was precariously balancing. His mouth dropped open when he saw Mal.

"Oh, Lady Mal!" He exclaimed before Jay abruptly cut him off.

"Yeah, we got it, don't worry," He declared, taking the pitchers from Lumiere and walking to set them on the table he'd dragged out to sit on. "Hey, Lumiere, do you happen to know when Prince Butthead is released from people yelling at him today? We need to know how long we have to get a certain dragoness back to herself." He stuck a thumb over his shoulder at Mal as he walked back to the door.

"H-he, uh, I think he's out at one for a lunch break," Lumiere mumbled, staring at Mal with a small look of horror on his face. "But he has to be back in at one-thirty."

"Tough crowd." Jay laughed as he took a glass off the stack and held it to the light, squinting. "Are these real crystal? Oh, look at that, they are. I forgot how extra the palace gets with all their trinkets." He set the stack on the table. Carlos stole a glass under his arm and filled it with water from one of the pitchers before he pressed it into Mal's still-shaking hands. "Well, we have about two and a half hours, so we're going to let you go now, Lumiere," Jay told the man still standing in the doorway. "Thanks for the water; have a nice day!"

Lumiere started to stumble out something that sounded either like: "You too", or "Do you need any help?" before the door closed and cut off the rest off his sentence.

Jay filled up a glass with a bit of water, dipped his finger into it, and rubbed the pad of his finger on the top of his glass. A horrible screech filled the room and made everyone flinch back. Jay stopped with a wince. "I never can get it," He mourned.

Evie held out a hand with a straight face. Carlos took a glass and dropped it into her palm. Evie licked the tip of her finger and began to seductively twirl her finger around the rim of the crystal cup. A lovely whirring sound filled the room. Carlos clapped as Mal let out a little laugh. Jay rolled his eyes. "Showoff," He grumbled. Evie set the glass at her side with a satisfied smile.

"Okay," Carlos clapped his hands together. "Zero to hero, Human to dragon. Evie, where do we start?"

"She needs a shower." Evie wrinkled her nose. "Let's brush out her hair first though so she can wash it properly." The three friends exchanged glances, and Jay immediately realized Emotional Pep Talk was about to begin.

"I'll grab a brush and some magic spray," He announced, jumping to his feet. "You guys have fun with your girl talk." He headed to the bathroom, walking a little faster than normal. Evie and Carlos didn't blame him. 'Girl Talk' was historically messy.

Evie took Mal's hands. "So… why are you so afraid of kids?" She whispered.

Mal swallowed. "Well, it's like… my mom wasn't the greatest. And I don't want to… make mistakes like she did."

"But you have Ben," Carlos whispered. "And Mal… you aren't your mom."

"But I'm still going to make mistakes. Mistakes that will have an impact on someone's life. And Ben… he still has to be king. Sometimes it'll be just him and other times it'll be just me," Mal whispered. Her lower lip trembled.

Evie pursed her lips together. "Are you really just afraid of messing up, or is it… the horror story effect?" She asked.

Mal shrugged. "I don't know," She whispered. "I think it definitely plays into it. I mean, so many people have died or been mutilated trying to have children… that entire idea scares me."

"But think about the rewards," Evie suggested. "Imagine a little kid playing with dinosaurs or with rings and little dresses…" Evie trailed off with a happy smile.

"I think that's more your gig." Mal snorted, though her eyes did fade over just slightly. "My kids would probably be more inclined to mud and magic."

"Unless they're like Ben," Carlos shrugged. The three shared a laugh.

"But just think about everything they could do," Evie continued. "The grandchild of Belle, Adam, and Maleficent. They'd grow up in the palace with you and Ben, go to Auradon Prep. Eventually, they'd be king or queen and you'd be able to go wherever you want."

"Yeah, didn't Belle and Adam ditch to go to Motuni for two months last summer?" Carlos asked.

"They did," Mal nodded. They'd been traveling a lot the last few years as Belle's hair started to grey and Adam's back started to hurt. They were also planning on ditching the palace to live in a smaller house, away from the busy monarchy.

"So after you give up the throne you could go streaking with Ben on a beach," Carlos joked. Evie let out a sound between a screech and a laugh as she leaned forward, covering her mouth. Mal snorted. The sudden change of muscles brought more tears to her eyes, but she felt a little happier with the reaction.

"I'm sure Ben would agree to that idea." Evie chuckled. She patted Mal's forearm comfortingly. "Does that sound okay, at all?"

Mal turned her eyes downcast for another moment. She imagined herself laying with Ben on their bed with another pair of little legs between them. She imagined a little nursery and stopped to consider what it would be like to have someone's little hand wrap around her pinky finger. Was the idea scary? Absolutely. Repulsive? Only if she thought of the details. Doable? With time, maybe.

Mal exhaled and rubbed her face. Her skin felt dry and her lips were chapped. She lifted her glass and knocked the water back in one swift go. Carlos took the crystal glass from her to refill it. "We good here?" He whispered.

"I think I'm okay," Mal's voice cracked as she spoke. Her throat felt like an entire desert had been pulled up through it. She downed the second glass and Carlos was quick to refill it. She hadn't realized how thirsty all the crying had made her. Evie had been wise to ask for two pitchers.

"Get me one please, Carlos?" Evie asked, handing him the glass she'd shown Jay up with. Carlos did as she asked and filled a third up for himself.

"To good?" He asked, holding his glass out. "Saving our butts since Coronation Day, year Twenty."

With a laugh, Evie, Carlos, And Mal clinked their glasses up in a toast to their decision eight years ago. "In the days of Auradon," Evie hummed, examining the cut of the crystal appreciatively. "I seriously need to invest in these for my house."

"You're buying a house? It's official?" Mal asked. Evie smiled shyly.

"We have a place in mind," She told them. "It's closer to his family. It's got heated floors and large rooms. We're just waiting on paperwork from the government." She rolled her eyes.

Carlos raised his eyebrows as he took a sip but didn't say anything. Jay emerged from the bathroom, looking irritated. "I don't know how you live in the palace," He grumbled. "You know how many things I have on my counter at home? Five things. Deodorant, toothpaste, toothbrush, retainer, and rub-on pain relief. Your bathroom is practically a Bath and Body Works store." He tossed the brush and a bottle of high-end detangler onto the bed beside Evie.

"People like to send me stuff." Mal groaned with a little half-smile. She returned her attention to Evie. "How long has this been in the works?" She asked.

"Just a little while," Evie assured her, sipping on her water. "Doug and I, uh, don't want our townhouse to start getting cramped." She hid a little smile by taking another drink as Mal put her glass in between her legs and processed Evie's words.

"No way." She pursed her lips. "Not now. Really?" Laughter burst out of her chest as she stared at Evie incredulously.

"I'm pregnant," Evie affirmed through her giggles. "And it's not a bad thing, and I'm going to be okay, and it makes me really happy."

"At least it does now," Carlos interjected. "She cried on the way up here because she was so sad for you."

"Carlos!" Jay punched him in the arm with a 'bro, what are you doing?' look.

"Ow!" Carlos yelped. "Hey, I'm just letting her know it's a full circle thing. She gets happy and then sad. Jane does literally the exact same thing every month."

"Just because I get sad doesn't mean I'm not happy." Evie pursed her lips in annoyance as she picked up the bottle of detangler and began to spritz the shambles that Mal's hair currently laid in. "Like Carlos may hate some of the students he teaches, but you better believe he's happy teaching."

"Okay, I have to tell you what this student put in her powerpoint presentation." Carlos slammed his hands down as Evie picked up the brush and began to gently undo the mess Mal had worked herself into. Step one: brush hair. Step two: shower. Step three: get back on track to Happily Ever After, starting with fixing everything that had gone down last night.

Carlos began to speak with none too few dramatics about the latest antics of his teenaged proteges. Mal focused on taking gentle sips of her water and replaying back the previous night's events. It would be okay, she could get her life back on track, and soon this would all just be a bad dream.

* * *

Two hours and ten minutes later, Mal's face had been scrubbed off, she and her friends had gone through the first two and then two more pitchers of water, and she was dressed in her Isle jacket and a green and black leggings. There had been at least five other pep talks, and she was still panicking. Still, she felt ready for this. She stood outside of the conference room where she could hear them wrapping up and took a deep breath.

The doors opened and people began to file out. Not very many, as there was a lot of conversation still going on in the room. Mal took a deep breath and went to stand in the doorway. Immediately, she spotted Ben standing and speaking with Ariel's son, with about five other people waiting to shake his hand and speak with him. He looked almost as horrible as she had – except he had actually gotten dressed and his face was clean. Still, his eyes were rubbed red – just like hers were underneath the mask of Evie's skills, and his shoulders were dropped – which he only did when he was tired.

Many of the Royals in the room nodded to her as they walked around, socializing. Snow White smiled brightly and waved, and then drifted over to Ben. Before Mal could signal the older woman to wait, she'd put a hand on Ben's arm and turned him around to see her in the doorway. Ben's political smile faltered as he saw her standing against the doorframe waiting for him. Snow White extended a delicate hand with a wistful smile, and Mal, who had unfortunately picked up on a few skills over these long years of politics, read the words right off her lips as if Snow was right next to her.

"Isn't she a dream?" She could hear singing as Snow tilted her head with a bright, fashionable smile. "She's just absolutely lovely."

Ben turned and shook Snow's hand with a thank you that somehow made its way over to Mal. She took a deep breath as he began to weave his way through the crowd. "Hey," He greeted her as soon as he got into earshot of her. He was fiddling with his suit as he approached her. "How are you?" He whispered. His voice still carried and made a shiver run down her spine. A smile spread across her mouth for a quick second.

"Fine," She whispered. She took a hesitant half-step forward and Ben almost put his arm around her shoulders by force of habit. Then he hesitated and offered her his hand instead.

"What are you doing here?" Ben whispered.

"I need to talk to you," Mal hurried out, taking his hand and guiding him into the hallway.

"Woah, wait," Ben gasped as he fumbled with the lapels on his coat. "Can you give me like, five minutes? There are still lots of people here who want to talk to me, and I haven't eaten since six this morning. I don't get another break until four, and I'm still-"

"I'm sorry," Mal blurted out, pulling Ben into a separate meeting room next door to the one she'd just pulled Ben from. "I really just- I need to apologize."

"Wait for just a second, Mal-" Ben interrupted hastily. He gave a longsuffering sigh and began unbuttoning his suit coat.

"I wasn't expecting what you had to say and for that, I'm sorry," Mal confessed, wringing her hands. "But I thought about it long and hard – and Evie, Jay, and Carlos talked some sense into me – and I'm sorry I reacted so horribly. The truth is I'm okay, I was just caught a little off guard, and I am ready. Whatever you need, I'll do it because I want to be with you. If that's being queen, I'll do it, or at least, I'll do my best. If you need children, I'll do it. However many events, however many spectacles, however many scandals, I swear I'll be there. If you want me still after last night, I want to be with you. You're my true love."

Ben dropped his hand with a wince like she'd stabbed him and hung his head in pain for a few seconds. "Mal…" He trailed off. "Okay. I do want you. Thank you for telling me." He examined her carefully and scoffed. "Evie did good on you. Your eyes are still red though." He put a hand up to her cheek. "I put you through a number, huh?"

"It was my own fault, and I probably put you through a bigger number," Mal sighed. She took a step towards him and put her hands on his coat. "I'm sorry. Jay… he really put it all into perspective and I realize I really shouldn't have reacted like I did. You know I'm just… not the best at this politics thing." She swallowed. "So… what now? What's the procedure?"

"Well, that's a yes, so…" Ben trailed off. He looked a bit flushed as he continued wrestling with his coat. Mal realized the inside was pinned to his shirt. She furrowed her brow.

"So… are we getting married now?" She asked uncertainly. "I'm sorry, I really don't know how this all works! Evie and Doug's story is completely different from ours and-" She cut herself off before she said anything else.

Ben hung his head in defeat. A look of amusement froze itself on his face as his hand buried inside his coat. He closed his eyes for a second, exhaled, and murmured: "No, no, Mal." He bit his lip and dropped his hand to pick up hers. "I have to propose now."

"But… I already know," Mal pointed out, confused. Then, a sudden thought struck her. "Oh, is it for the other royals? Is it supposed to be a public announcement or something? Can't we just-"

Ben pressed a hand to her mouth suddenly as if there were people around. His cheeks were burning. "Well, the royals all know now that I'm going to propose, so no, that's not it." He went back to fishing in his coat.

"They already know?" Mal asked.

Ben unpinned his coat from his shirt and showed her the lining. A mess of wires and a black box were pinned to the inside of his coat. "I'm still connected to the other room's audio system," He hissed. "That's why I wanted to wait to talk to you."

Mal stared at the mess of electronics in horror. "They can hear – oh." She covered her face in embarrassment. She couldn't hear anything from the other room, but she could only imagine the amusement of the other room's occupants.

Ben chuckled a little as he unpinned a few coils, revealing a switch which he clicked sheepishly. "Okay," He sighed. "Now that we're alone, let me explain. My parents didn't want me to ask you to marry me without you knowing what you were getting into. That's why I told you everything about being queen. Which, by the way-" He took a step closer to her and put a hand up to her cheek. "Are you okay?" He whispered.

Mal swallowed. "I am," She nodded. "Even about… you and I and-" She stopped when her cheeks began to burn and took a deep breath. "I meant what I said. If you need a child for the throne, I'll do it for you." She exhaled. "I'm sorry for freaking out on you."

Ben snorted and took her hand. He twisted their fingers together and kissed her knuckles. "I'm sorry you didn't get a lot of warning." He met her eyes and leaned forward a little. She leaned up to meet him, and they shared a kiss together. She felt the healing magic of a true love's kiss wash over her, fixing her tear damage and quelling her shaking hands, and relaxed. Ben released her mouth and leaned his forehead on hers. He squeezed her hand against his.

"So now what?" Mal whispered.

"Now that I have a go-ahead, I can propose to you," Ben explained with a smile. "Even though you already know I'm planning on it. I just have to be extra sneaky and get your guard down." He put his arms around and whirled her around. She shrieked and put her arms around his neck as he laughed. He set her down, and without moving her arms she immediately tried to kiss him again. He laughed and bent down to indulge her. They didn't exactly kiss frivolously, or at least, not like they had in their youth, but she knew him by the way he could kiss her alone. The magic of True Love's Kiss would never cease to give him away.

"Everyone's going to laugh at us when we go out," He warned her, taking her chin with a bright smile.

"Well, I'm kind of used to being the laughingstock of the royal family," Mal chuckled. Her hands trailed down his neck and found a place on his collar.

"You're not a laughingstock," Ben frowned. He backed away and offered her his arm. He re-buttoned his jacket with one hand and took her to the door. He opened it and led her out first. People were loitering in the hallway, though many more were crowded into the meeting room. No one had moved.

Lumiere appeared, taking Ben's shoulder. "We have lunch for you," He told Ben, trying to hide a smile. "But you had better stop rumors that you've proposed already before they get out of the palace."

Mal's cheeks flushed bright pink and she covered her face as the few loiterers in the hallway chuckled. She began to untangle her arm from Ben's, but he only squeezed her hand tightly to his side and walked her towards the room. "Wait – what?" She sputtered as the people inside came into view.

"If I have to say goodbye to them," Ben began through an embarrassed grin, "Then you have to too."

"Oh!" Mal dipped her head down and covered her eyes sheepishly with her free hand. They stepped through the doors, and everyone promptly burst into laughter. She squeezed her eyes shut in embarrassment.

"We're not engaged yet," Ben announced to the room. "So, don't go telling people that we are." He elbowed Mal. "I have to catch her off guard now."

Mal finally braved a look at everyone in the room. Many of the people she knew personally. They laughed at the red tones in her cheeks. Many came forward anyway to shake hers and Ben's hands. Ben didn't stay for long though. He only had about fifteen more minutes of his break when he began to lead her back to the doors, and the meeting began to truly disperse.

"Care to join me for lunch?" He asked, leading her further and further away from the giggling members of the adjourned committee.

"Sounds lovely," Mal laughed, fanning her face to try and get the last of her blush to fade. "And there's still a few more things I need to ask you if you have time."

"I have fifteen minutes," Ben warned her. "If you want to wait until four, I have a three-hour break then before my last meeting today. I'm out of the castle all day tomorrow, though."

"School day?" Mal asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, Charmington's semi-annual government review. Hey, by the way, what's with you skipping out on your meeting today?" He opened the door into his room, where lunch was laid out on a center table. He took his coat off, being careful not to fumble with any of the wirings, and took a sandwich from a small pile as he walked to the mirror and winced at his reflection. He found some concealing cream and began to hastily cover up the red rashes under his eyes in between bites. Mal shut the door behind them and stole a sandwich herself.

"Evie canceled it for me. It was a good thing because I literally looked like a meltdown. You should have seen my hair… and my makeup was all caked on my face and I sounded like I'd been swallowing metal shavings." She shook her head and watched as Ben poured her and him a glass of lemonade. He handed her hers as he walked into the bathroom to run a comb through his hair, still finishing his sandwich. "I'm sorry I missed. I'll be at the one tonight, though."

"You better. That's the one scheduled thing we have together for the next week," He told her, walking back into the room. He plugged his phone in and Mal saw a list of calendar notifications. She winced. Her own phone was back in her room, and she'd be willing to bet she had a list too. He unbuttoned his shirt and rolled up his sleeves as he stole another sandwich. He gestured to the spray of fruits, sandwiches, nuts and vegetable sticks. "Eat," He prodded. "And what did you need to ask me?"

Mal swallowed. "On the matter of us having kids…" She began unsteadily, picking up a cluster of grapes and beginning to twist them one by one off the stem. "Evie, Jay, and Carlos told me I'd better get things straight with you on when, and where, and what are the rules for that… just so that I'm not caught off guard in the future."

Ben stilled, looking immediately downcast. "Oh, Mal," He sighed. "Can we… can I answer that when I'm not in a rush to get to another meeting? When we can sit down together, and you can really ask me questions?" He stole a cluster of grapes and sat down with his shirt half-open as he stretched his arms around his head. Mal chuckled.

"What do you have for the rest of today?" Ben asked as he reached for his suit coat. He began to slip loose grapes into his pocket. He wasn't supposed to sneak snacks, but he did almost every time he had a long meeting. Mal didn't know how he hadn't been caught yet.

"I missed my first meeting," Mal sighed dejectedly. "But I have that other one later tonight. I think I'm supposed to make a few phone calls regarding the Powhatan Cotillion, and I might have someone meeting with me regarding the royal court around two, but other than that I think I'm actually pretty free."

Ben sighed wistfully. "Enjoy it while it lasts," He advised her. "When you're queen, things will suddenly be two, maybe three times as crazy."

Mal made a dejected sound at the back of her throat and reached over the table to take his hand as he finished slipping grapes into his pockets. "So long as I'm with you, I look forward to it," She whispered. Ben smiled and squeezed her hand.

"I'm lucky to be in love with you," He whispered.

But really, she felt lucky to be with him. Her heart rate sped up as she squeezed his hand back, and they sat there together in that close space, ignoring the clock that was ticking closer to the time she was going to have to let go, and he was going to leave.

* * *

The royal family had dinner together, and Mal tagged along before the last meeting of the day began. She and Ben sat on two sides of a square table on the veranda of the dining room as they waited for his parents. They were holding hands again, not saying anything, just enjoying each other's company.

One of the servants opened the French doors separating the veranda from the dining room. Former King Adam, whose shoulders were hunched forward in pain and Former Queen Belle, whose grey hair made her brown eyes stand out in a striking manner, appeared from inside. Adam clapped his son's shoulders as Ben turned around and stood to help his parents sit down. They exchanged a hug before Ben pulled a chair out for Belle and helped her sit down at the table.

Adam went to Mal and held his left hand out. Mal fumbled and extended her left hand to shake his. However, he simply twisted her hand to examine her fingers. "Not yet?" He asked, seeing no ring.

Mal blushed and shook her head. "No," She affirmed.

Ben pulled out Adam's chair for him and Adam sat down before Ben retook his seat and picked up Mal's hand. "Not yet," Ben repeated. "But I did talk with her like you told me to. So now I just have to catch her off guard."

"Good luck," Belle laughed. One of the servants came forward to put food and water on the table. She held aloft her glass to him. "This is a special evening. Perchance, would you bring a bottle of champagne for us all to share?"

The servant nodded and dipped his head in acquiescence. "Yes, your majesty." He disappeared towards the doors.

Belle reached across the table and squeezed Mal's hands. "I'm excited for you both," She told them. "I was worried that the idea of queendom wouldn't appeal."

"It doesn't," Mal crinkled her nose. "But if that's what I have to do to keep him, I'll step up." She smiled sideways at Ben, who put his hand on top of hers.

"It's funny how things have come full circle," Adam mentioned, picking up a white roll and reaching for the butter. "In a way, you're almost living up to your mother's ambitions while not taking part in her plans at all."

"That's true," Ben laughed. "You're about to achieve power over all of Auradon, share complete control of the government with me, and if I die, you're in charge."

"Please don't die," Mal sighed, slumping her posture. "I don't want to have to deal with all your crazy meetings and things."

"Me neither," Ben sighed. "Luckily for me, the meetings will lighten a little bit once you're queen. I get to, uh, split responsibilities with you." He elbowed her lightly, and Mal crinkled her nose.

"What happens to all the things I have to do as Lady of the Court?" She asked.

"You still have to do some of those things as my right-hand lady," Ben replied almost immediately. "But other things will be given to other ladies in the court. Someone else will take up Head of Court. You'll be busy helping me with everything I've been dealing with by myself." He passed her a roll with butter on it, along with some cheese and salami.

A joyous thought occurred to Mal. "Will you have more free time after that?" She asked with a sudden, growing smile. Adam and Belle laughed at the reaction to her sudden realization.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Mom and Dad designed the job to have a normal workload when divided between two people. So, when you're queen, my hours won't be so crazy, and I'll actually be able to get on and off work at a decent time. On the flip side, you won't have as much free time."

"I can live with that," Mal smiled. She looked between Belle and Adam in excitement. "I get my boyfriend back!" She stage-whispered. Belle and Adam let out near-identical laughs of amusement as Ben rolled his eyes.

"Husband, by then," He corrected her. Mal's mouth dropped open as she gleefully considered this new idea.

"Are we still considered dating right now?" She asked.

"Engaged," Adam shook his head.

"Betrothed?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow in thought. "I still haven't asked."

"Promised," Belle interjected, and the other three members of the table nodded in acquiescence. A slight pause ensued before Belle leaned forward and asked: "Do you have a ring yet?"

Mal's head whipped around as Ben made a face at his mom. "I've had a ring since she graduated." He rolled his eyes. Mal's mouth dropped open, and he winked at her. "Yes, all these seven years. No, mom, you can't know what it looks like."

"What?" Belle frowned in protest. "But I'm your mom!"

"I know," Ben assured her as if he could have possibly forgotten. The doors opened, and a servant appeared, holding Belle's requested drink. "Ah, now the party can begin!" He proclaimed with a smile.

"At least until that last meeting," Mal grumbled, slumping into her seat. Ben took the bottle from the servant with a thank you and popped the seal off. He smirked at Mal as he threw the cork at her. She caught it in her palm and rolled it along her fingers, feeling the rough texture tickle her skin.

"Mom?" Ben asked, holding the bottle out across the table. Belle held her glass aloft with a smile, and Ben filled it for her. Adam held his glass up next, and Ben topped it off before Mal picked up her glass and leaned toward him with a smile. He filled hers, then his, and set the mostly depleted bottle in the center of the table. They all held their glasses aloft in synchrony.

"To the future," Belle smiled at her little family.

"To Auradon," Adam boomed. A bit of his drink sloshed out and onto his hand.

"To happily ever after," Ben smiled at her. He used his free hand to reach out and run his fingers down her jawline.

"To us," She finished in a little whisper. The four clinked their drinks together and each took a sip. Ben picked up her hand as dinner officially began. The sweet bubbles of the champagne and the sly comments Belle made had Mal almost sinking into her shoes. If the rest of her life could be as perfect as this moment, she'd never have any reason to worry at all.

* * *

The night air felt cool and sticky. Mal found a hair band in her pocket and tied her hair back with one hand as Ben held the other tightly. They were walking through Belle's infamous rose garden, which had expanded and grown over the years into a maze of bright colors and beautiful hues. Now, as dark fall, you couldn't tell many of the colors, but the beautiful smell reminded Mal they were there.

Off in the distance, she could hear the chatter of the other royals heading home for the night, and the thrumming of waiting cars. She couldn't see all that far away what with the towering bushes, but she knew they were there.

"So, are you going to explain the ways of the palace to me?" Mal asked as Ben hummed a tune and observed the gardens around them. At the sound of her voice, his eyes snapped to latch onto hers. He thought a moment on the meaning of her question, and then sighed.

"Are you sure you want to know the whole of it?" He asked with a nervous laugh. "Some pretty crazy things have gone down since my mum had me."

"Will I have to have a son?" Mal asked. "Does that still matter?"

"No," Ben shook his head immediately, squeezing her palm close to his. "No, it doesn't matter. Uh, let's see here…" They took a turn through an archway and began wandering out to a fountain that marked the center of the gardens. Mal swallowed as he collected his thoughts.

"There was a freak-out a few years ago with hospital security, and a law was passed that you can only have the baby in your home-palace. You'll have to follow that rule, and there are restrictions on the types of painkillers and doctors you can have on hand during labor," Ben began, biting his lip in between statements.

Mal made a face. "I don't like doctors anyways." She scoffed.

"Just a warning: you will have to put up with them," Ben chuckled. He let out another sigh. "You won't be able to go to certain places; there's a list that I can't remember. Monthly check-ups are a thing, frequent ultrasounds, daily vitamins and pills, things like that. You're not allowed to show the baby to anyone before we announce them to the kingdom, and… I think that's all aside from the fact you have to get dressed up to announce the baby's birth with me afterward." He chewed on his lower lip nervously as he glanced at Mal, who looked utterly exasperated and a bit worried.

"Why do they have to have so many restrictions and things?" Mal grumbled. She crossed her free arm around herself in defense.

"It's only the future of the entire kingdom on the line," Ben reminded her with a humorless chuckle. "But… I understand it's a lot. And most of that responsibility falls to you, not me. I'm sorry."

Mal squeezed his palm. Her heart was racing, and her mouth felt dry. "I can handle it," She took a deep breath. "Just… I'll have to take it one piece at a time."

"And I'm here," Ben reminded her. "If you need help, I'll be here. Whatever I can do, I want to."

Mal hummed as a soft smile spread across her face and leaned into his grasp. "I know," She whispered. She let out a deep breath. "Okay," She told him. "When?"

Ben shrugged. "Who knows?" He replied. "I personally do not see the need for any children at this very moment in time. Can we guesstimate an even whenever-the-heck-we-want?"

Mal let a laugh bubble out of her chest, even though she felt a bit like throwing up as she turned over all the information in her head. "Okay," She agreed. "Let's plan on that."

They continued their walk across the gardens. Mal tried to quell her anxiety. This wasn't like in her teenage years when she'd changed her hair color to blonde and tried to make herself into something she wasn't. She knew who she was, she knew what she could do, and everything would be okay in the end.

And that was an easy thing to believe when Ben's hand was swinging hers back and forth, like a pendulum in a clock where time never held any meaning.

* * *

**If you made it this far, it's too late to turn back. **

**I do not own Disney's Descendants.**


	2. Chapter 2

"Ben and I just had the funniest conversation." Jay texted to a group that included Mal, Evie, and Carlos. Mal glanced up from the forms she was filling out for Powhatan Cotillion and glanced at the phone screen, skimming the message as Jay followed up the text with a winking emoji.

"Perchance, was it the same conversation he had with me?" Carlos asked. "That included a date and some plans and Mal's left hand?"

"Wait," Evie commanded. "He did that with you guys too?"

Mal clapped her hand over her mouth as a laugh bubbled up inside her. "No way." She texted. "For real?!"

"He asked for my permission." Jay confided. "And I got to see the ring."

"You got to see the ring?" Evie exploded. "I didn't get to see the ring!"

Carlos sent a string of diamond ring emojis and gifs. His texts were usually littered with stickers and moving pictures, as they had been ever since Ben had introduced him to the world of downloadable add-ins. "I got to see it too." He bragged. "Did you know he's had it ever since our last year at Auradon Prep? It's super fancy too – Mal, you're going to love it."

"Did he tell you guys when?" Mal asked. Several angry emojis from Evie came through. "Like, when he's planning on proposing?"

"We're not supposed to tell you," Carlos explained. "And Evie, the reason you can't see the ring is because that'll ruin the after-proposal freak-out you and Mal will have. It's pretty obvious."

"I want to see the ring!" Evie protested. Several emojis with swearing symbols covering their mouths emitted under her name. Mal let out a laugh.

"The powhatan coronation." Jay texted. Mal's mouth dropped open.

"Jay!" Carlos protested.

"You're not supposed to tell her that!" Evie screeched.

"The Powhatan Cotillion? I'm literally making plans for that right now, as we speak." Mal informed her friends. She glanced sideways at the abandoned papers under her elbow. They suddenly seemed a lot more important than they had thirty seconds ago. Could she literally be helping to plan her own engagement?

But as quickly as the shock sunk in, doubt replaced it. "Ben's going to propose to me on the night they're inducting Ka-Okee into the royal courts? That doesn't seem like him at all. He wouldn't steal the spotlight from her."

"Well, he's going to." Jay insisted. "He told me ALL the plans. Apparently, his parents already approved the idea when he asked them for permission too."

Mal scowled. "How many people is Ben going to ask if it's okay to ask me to marry him before he actually asks ME to marry him? I'm kind of the deal-breaker, here."

"I think he still has to ask his grandfather, the fairy that cursed his dad, all the gods of Olympus, a stone from the Enchanted Lake, all of Auradon, your mother, and the lint from your clothes before he asks you." Evie theorized. Five laughing emojis quickly reassured Mal that Evie was, in fact, joking.

"Oh." Carlos deadpanned. "Has Ben asked Maleficent yet?" Mal's blood ran cold at the question.

"You can't really… communicate with a lizard." Jay pointed out uneasily. "I mean, I guess she could flick her tail and hiss, but she can't really give permission."

Mal swallowed, and typed out: "Yeah, and I don't think Ben is dumb enough to ask someone we all know would say no." Her statement felt like ice water running over their conversation. The chat fell silent for a few seconds. Then Evie tried to pick up the beat again.

"Everything's so much easier for the boys." She proclaimed. "When Carlos proposed to Jane, he asked FG and Jane's dad. No biggie. And Jay had to beat Shang in a sword fight, but still, not much of a problem. But when Doug wanted to propose to me, he had to pick between not asking anyone or trying to find a way to communicate with my mom through the barrier of the Isle and convince her that he's good enough for me. And you know what he picked? Three hours of being screamed at by Cruella, Jafar, and EQ before my mom told him no and he hung up and asked me anyways. And now Ben has to jump through all these hoops because we all know who Mal's mom is, and he has to think of 750,000,000 people as well."

"That swordfight was NOT easy." Jay protested. "I got my leg all slicing up. You know how hard it is to get on one knee when you're covered in an entire half-inch of bandages?"

"You're coming up on fifteen months of engagement." Evie pointed out. "Are you guys going to tie the knot or no?"

"We are," Jay assured her. "She just got a new job though, so we're rearranging dates AGAIN."

Mal picked up her pen and continued scribbling, though she glanced at her phone frequently to catch up on the conversation. Briefly, she opened a text line to Pocahontas and asked: "Does Ka-Okee want chains, key charms, pen toppers, or lip balm party favors?" She felt tempted to follow up the message with: "Jane kinda loves the pen toppers," but knew the joke would only be appreciated by her.

A suspicious message appeared at the top of her phone. "Okay guys, I think we convinced Mal Ben is going to ruin the Cotillion. Now we got to figure out how to get her away from the main party… any ideas?"

"CARLOS WRONG GROUP CHAT!" Evie exclaimed. Several emojis with blue faces and hands slapped to their cheeks in shock or surprise followed.

"OH CRAP" Carlos mourned. A gif of someone slipping on a banana peel with the words 'oops' appeared underneath his message.

"ABORT MISSION ABORT MISSION." Jay groaned. "Ugh, Carlos you're telling Ben." A single teary-eyed emoji from Carlos was his only answer.

Mal reentered the group chat, biting her lip to keep from smiling too hard. "I'll just pretend I didn't get that, and we'll call it good." She added a thumbs-up to accentuate her point. No one responded. She got the feeling they were too busy lecturing Carlos in the correct group chat.

The date on the papers read September 30th. It was now September 16th, meaning that in less than two weeks, she could have gone from girlfriend to fiancée, and that was a thought that created a smile she couldn't wipe off her cheeks.

Pocahontas responded: "Pen toppers", which made Mal burst into laughter. As she included the request in the paperwork, her phone buzzed one last time. This time, it was from Ben.

"You still okay to make it to Powhatan Cotillion?" He asked. "I forgot you had a visitation day with your mom that day."

Oh, well that reminder certainly put a damper on her mood. Mal pinched her lips together and let out a breath. "Yeah, I'll be there. Can't wait!" She added a smiling emoji for extra effect.

"What about the Palace open-house for next week?" He asked. "For the anniversary of the formation of Auradon? You have a day with Evie scheduled, but I have it here that you're opening that event?"

Mal let out an audible groan. "Oh, that. Yeah, I remember. I'm not really looking forward to that, though."

"You'll be great," Ben assured her. "Have fun with Evie."

* * *

"The carpets are being cleaned today," Belle announced as Mal entered the room for breakfast on the morning of the Open House. "They weren't able to make it last night, so they're going to be doing the main rooms this morning, and the rest of the palace in the afternoon. Is your room good for them to go through?"

"I think so." Mal furrowed her brow as she fixed a bag over her shoulder. "I'll run back up before I leave with Evie for the day." She sat down between Belle and Ben, who leaned over to give her a quick kiss on the cheek.

"What time are you getting back tonight?" Adam asked as he poured himself a large glass of orange juice. He glanced at his watch and followed this up with: "Ben, thirty minutes."

"We're leaving at three, so I'll be back around three-thirty, before traffic starts up," Mal sighed. "Plenty of time to get ready before five."

Belle nodded approvingly as Ben finished his breakfast and got up. "I'm off," He sighed, pushing his chair back under the table.

"Already?" Mal frowned. "I just got here."

Ben set his hands on her shoulders. "I'll be here tonight. I'll come to find you when you walk in." He leaned down and kissed her cheek again.

Mal let out a longsuffering sigh as he stood back up. "I'll be the one in purple," She reminded him. "Good luck with work."

"I'll need it," Ben laughed. He disappeared out a side door as Mal started reaching for food. A frown was stuck on her face.

"It'll get better, dear," Belle told her, reaching over to pat her hand with a smile. "Eventually, you'll be able to go with him to some things."

"They told me the separation would get better back when I graduated, and it's only gotten worse," Mal grumbled as she stole a helping of breakfast salad. "And really, all I want to do for the rest of my life is paint, draw, and be with Ben. Is that too much to ask?"

Belle laughed. She glanced cautiously at her watch. The doors opened and Lumiere appeared. "Queen Belle, King Adam, Lady Mal," He greeted, inclining his head to each. "I've come up to inform you that your cleaners for tonight are here and that Evie is waiting for Mal outside."

Mal frowned and pulled out her phone to check the time. "Ugh, she's early," Mal moaned. "I'll have to run down to my room and then head out." She stood up, taking her plate with her.

"Don't worry about the room," Belle rolled her eyes. "You're usually tidy. I'll just have someone glance through it to make sure nothing official or important is lying out before I send them up. Take more food with you, dear, or you'll starve."

Mal frowned as she took a few bagels and some strawberries. "I can run down. Evie will understand."

"Shall I tell the cleaners to start in the ballroom?" Lumiere asked. "I believe we have servants setting up things in there in about two hours."

"Yes, please, Lumiere," Belle nodded. "Have fun, Mal. Don't worry about the room."

"A spa day isn't really my idea of fun," Mal sighed.

"Evie's turn to pick?" Belle smiled. Mal nodded glumly. Belle laughed. "Well, good luck," She told her young protégé before she turned to Lumiere to discuss plans for tonight. Eventually, it'd be Mal's job to delegate maintenance crews, but for now, Belle did it as the unofficial head of household.

Mal hurried out to the circle, where Evie was waiting in her pretty blue convertible car with the off-white leather seats. Mal liked the car a lot, mainly because it wasn't as long as the palace limos and was therefore much easier for her to drive. However, Evie never let her drive it because a.) Mal didn't have her license and b.) Mal didn't exactly have the best track record with cars. She'd stolen and crashed/scratched the palace limos a few too many times for Evie to feel comfortable leaving her dream car unattended anywhere near Mal.

"Do you have it?" Mal asked, giving Evie a hug without so much as a 'hello'.

"Of course," Evie smiled. She led Mal to the passenger side of the car and reached down to lift out a silver dress bag with a hanger sticking out of it. She let down the zipper and Mal let out a laugh.

"You're not even being subtle, E," Mal remarked, leaning onto Evie's shoulder with a bright smile. The dress inside was her signature purple color and was obviously made to flaunt as much as possible. It latched above Mal's left shoulder and left her right one bare and hitched at her knees so there was no chance of her tripping on it. The fabric was soft and silky, and honestly reminded Mal of Evie's blue dress from her cotillion years and years ago.

"Now just imagine," Evie let out a breath and held her finger up as if she were framing a moment in the air. "A week from now, you're wearing this dress, and Ben gets down on one knee and-"

"Evie!" Mal burst into giggles, looking around them carefully. "Shh! You never know when the paparazzi are tailing me." She covered her mouth though, as the wonderful image Evie had just described filled her imagination.

"I can't believe you're getting engaged!" Evie proclaimed, much louder than she'd been whispering. Mal flinched. "Just think, Mal, Queen of Auradon. I honestly can't believe it."

"Honestly, I'm okay to just stop at 'wife of Ben'. The queen title, it can just-" Mal made a waving motion with her hand and then reached forward to drag a hand down her new dress. "It's beautiful, Evie. Thank you so much."

"It's going to be amazing," Evie promised. "Now come on, let's hit the road. When do you have to be back? Six?"

"Five," Mal corrected her. "I have to be there to read the official 'Celebration of Auradon' thing at the opening of the party, and to welcome everyone, and then to talk to people who may or may not secretly hate me for my mother." She let out a sigh and opened the passenger side door. It had been a long time since she'd opened her own car door, she realized. Between Ben and all the palace people and magistrates, she hadn't even been able to take more than a few steps without being on someone's arm. She supposed that would only get worse once she was queen.

As she collapsed into the leather seat, she let her lady-like posture fall a bit so she could slouch into her seat as Evie walked around. "You know," She began, "we might not be able to do girl's days as often anymore. Ben says they're going to track my phone, and, well, you know how he always has guards around him? It'll probably be the same for me."

"Why don't they just give you a knife?" Evie asked, climbing in on her side and shutting the door. "You can protect yourself just fine."

"Well, so can Ben," Mal reminded her best friend. "Remember Ben on the Isle back when we were seventeen? He's more than able to protect himself."

"He got himself captured within thirty seconds of walking away from us," Evie protested with a distasteful sneer. "And don't say those words ever again."

"What words?" Mal asked, raising an eyebrow.

"The words about the years," Evie whined. She clicked her seatbelt into place. Her fancy embellished sunglasses were kept in a little compartment underneath her radio. She removed them and flicked them open, sliding them onto her face. "It doesn't feel like it was that long ago. You make us sound like our parents. 'Remember when we were ruining lives?'" She mimicked and shuddered.

"Are you afraid of aging?" Mal asked incredulously as Evie put the car into gear.

Evie winced. "Aren't you?" She asked.

Mal shook her head. "Not really. Why are you afraid?"

Evie left one hand on the wheel as they left the circle and began to approach the visitor's center. She rested the other hand on her belly. "I don't know," She whispered. "It all just seems so… real lately. I mean, just a few years ago you were stealing candy from babies and now I'm about to have my own baby myself, and soon they'll have their babies, and their babies will have babies, and one day I'll wake up and I won't even recognize myself."

Mal shrugged as she watched the visitor's center approach lazily. "I'm not afraid," She thought out loud. "I have Ben, and I'm okay to grow old with him. But… children scare me. I mean, we know of people who died on the Isle during birth or pregnancy. I think I'm always going to be scared of the idea of being pregnant and not being able to run or flee from danger."

Evie scoffed. "It looks like we're both afraid of things we can't escape." Mal winced and nodded.

A guard appeared outside the visitor's center, and Mal suddenly remembered she needed her palace pass in order to get out. She cursed and began scrambling through her purse. Evie stopped the car beside the center and showed the guard her driver's license before they both turned to watch Mal scramble through her purse. "Please tell me you didn't leave it up at the palace," Evie deadpanned as Mal began to pull out her phone, her government ID's, her credit cards, everything.

"No, I put it in here before I left," Mal insisted as she continued digging. She sighed irritably. "You know who I am, can't you just let me out?"

"Ah-ha!" The guard laughed. "And lose my job for letting the head of the royal courts out without her permission pass? Not a chance."

Mal grumbled and began shuffling through a different pocket. "Ben's not in meetings for another five minutes; I'm sure he would give me permission to get out." She let out a groan. "I have my pass photographed?" She offered.

"You know why we can't accept that," The guard told her firmly. Mal sighed. Yeah, she knew why it was important that they didn't take a digital copy in case someone was somehow impersonating her, but it was still annoying.

"Mal," Evie grumbled in an extremely terse tone. "You better have that card."

"I have the stupid card," Mal insisted. She picked up her collection of ID's and began shuffling. "I've lived here for, like, two years. I know how the stupid permission passes work."

"Mal," Evie huffed. "You know I can be detained for trying to taking you out if you don't have your pass, right?"

Mal's hand grew a bit sweaty as she shuffled through her cards with a huff. Then the blue pattern stuck out among the yellow of her Auradon Prep cards and her white standard ID's and she breathed a sigh of relief as she pulled the card out and presented it to the guard. Evie let out a breath of relief. "Thank goodness," She whispered.

The guard waved them through. "Have that card ready when you come back," He warned. "You know, in a few years or whatever, you're not going to be able to leave the palace walls without that card and an escort or two."

"Yeah," Mal sighed. "I know."

The guard gave a wave and Evie put the car back into gear. Mal grumbled as she shoved her collection back into her bag. "Why do you carry so many cards?" Evie asked irritably. "You only need your government ID and your pass, maybe a credit card or two."

"Believe me, I used to, and then Ben, Belle, and Adam had this joint freak-out session," Mal explained. "See, they're worried that if I need to show someone my ID, and I pull out my government ID, and then they snatch it out of my hand photograph it or something, and suddenly my main official ID that proves I'm a citizen of Auradon is easily attainable off the internet. So, I carry all these extra ID's in case I need to prove my identity without jeopardizing palace security."

Evie sighed. "Your life is complicated," She grumbled.

"It's about to get more complicated," Mal warned. "Ben was telling me all this stuff… they're going to tag my phone and track me. I know Ben gets lots of his texts skimmed as he sends them, and they'll probably do that to me. And, you know," She gestured at the road behind them to remind Evie of the guard. "I'm not allowed to leave alone by myself anymore. I have to have guards or be with Ben, Belle, or Adam. Anyone else has to be palace approved." She lolled her head on her shoulders to look over at Evie, who had slumped over a bit.

"So, what you're saying, is I won't be able to take you out of the palace in the future," Evie sighed. She pushed her sunglasses up a bit to glance over at Mal mournfully.

"No," Mal shook her head. "Or, well, there's a system. But no, the queen can't just vanish from the palace for a day to hang out with her friends. I can ask Ben what the details would be, but chances are we'd still have to have at least one bodyguard with us. Everything changes once he puts a ring on my hand."

"Well," Evie grumbled. "We'd better make the most of today, then."

"Does that mean we're going laser-tagging or paint-balling after all?" Mal asked hopefully. She knew it was a lost cause though.

"No," Evie shook her head. "We're going to go to the spa and then get our nails done because I don't feel like chasing you around and my fingers are all cramped up after making that for you." She made a gesture to the backseat in reference to the dress. "And by the way, I brought my sketchbook because I have tons of wedding dress ideas."

"Really?" Mal laughed. "I can't wait to see them!"

Evie smiled over at her best friend. "Are you going to put a hat on to hide your hair?" She asked.

Mal leaned her head outside the car and felt the wind race through her locks. She smiled wide. "No," She shook her head. "After all, I won't be able to do this for long. I'm going to enjoy it."

Evie laughed and together the cruised down the road, away from the palace, on one of their last trips together.

* * *

They left the spa on time but quickly ran into problems. One, a crash had occurred outside the nail salon Evie loved, meaning they sat in the car for an additional half-hour, casually trying to hide Mal's identity from those around them who were also stopped as law enforcement cleaned up the mess. They must have done a good job because no one from the palace called to ask why the official Lady of the Royal Courts was near a public crash, but people certainly noticed the King's girlfriend's bright purple hair.

Then, the salon itself was packed. Evie's platinum membership could only do so much when the place was stretched on staff for the day. Mal began to tap her fingers anxiously as two o'clock turned to two-thirty, and then to three. Three, as in the time she'd told Belle and Adam she'd be leaving. Evie, however, didn't seem that concerned as she insisted Mal get her nails painted purple with pretty, tiny, white sequins.

They left at three-thirty, which was when Mal had been planning on getting back to the palace. But by that time royals had started to arrive, and traffic had lulled around the palace. Evie drummed her hands on the wheel as they watched the time tick closer to four o'clock. "You'd better text your not-in-laws," She warned Mal.

Mal let out a sound of absolute discouragement and she shuffled around in her purse for her cell phone. Evie craned her neck a little, spotted the palace pass inside, and turned her attention back to the road.

At four-fifteen, they finally reached the visitor's center. Evie presented her license, and they both turned to watch as Mal pulled her ID's out one by one and examined them. "Again?" The guard asked.

"It is here," Mal insisted, wrinkling her nose as she shuffled cards irritably. "Dear God, where could it have fallen?"

The guard pinched his lips together. "Please pull the car over to here," He gestured to a parking lot beside the building. The only other cars parked there were a police car and a maintenance car. A new guard began helping the Royals in the car behind them.

"Oh, my goodness," Evie grumbled as she slid the car into gear. The guard walked them all the way to a parking space.

Mal upended her bag into her lap and began irritably looking through the contents therein. Lip balm, hand sanitizer, spare ID's, credit cards, her registration that she possesses magical powers, official court identification, and documents… but no ID?

Evie put the car in gear and looked over to Mal helplessly. "Ma'am," The guard directed to Evie. "Please step out of the car with your hands behind your head."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Are you going to arrest her?" She gasped.

"I have to follow protocol," The guard frowned. "Ma'am, please step out of the car."

Evie made a sound in the back of her throat and opened her door. "Should I turn off the car?" She asked.

"Do not touch any of the controls. Keep your hands behind your head please," The guard directed. Evie left the door open as she lifted her hands up. She sent a desperate look to Mal, who was frantically opening pockets.

"Oh my gosh," Mal sighed. "Okay, I have to have some power, right? I'm a lady of the court and-" She watched the guard step towards Evie as he revealed a pair of handcuffs, and flipped out. "Don't touch her!" She commanded, pointing at him. "Don't you dare touch her." She opened the door and began feeling along the floor of the car. "It's here, it's got to be here. Don't you take her anywhere, don't you touch her."

"Mal!" Evie took a hand from behind her head to point to the crevice between seats, where a blue-tinged card lay. Mal slumped in relief as she snatched up the pass and showed it to the guard. He nodded, and Evie slowly returned to her seat in the car. "You are awful at this card thing," Evie sighed.

"I swear it was in here," Mal gasped. "I saw it on the way here, I checked. Oh my gosh." She got back into the car and slumped against the seat.

The guard clicked his tongue disapprovingly. "You need to get something to hold all your cards," He told her. Mal nodded to his words without comment. He shooed them away and returned to help check in everyone else. The palace was growing more and more crowded as people arrived.

"Take the royal family entrance," Mal told Evie. "I have my certificate of Court Membership and my official residency card here, so you can park in the royal family's garage and… that should be less crowded." She rubbed her hands against her face and dared a look at the clock. "I have twenty-five minutes to have my hair and makeup done and to get into my dress and get to where I need to be."

"We can do it," Evie assured her. "Here, my extra makeup bag should be under the seat. Hurry and start while I direct us."

Mal reached under the seat and felt the cool clutch of the plastic bag. She pulled it up and found, to her relief, some purple shades of eyeshadow mixed in with the blue and several tubes of eyeliner and mascara. "What about my hair?" Mal asked. "I can't curl it in twenty minutes and still be able to get into my dress."

"We'll braid it," Evie decided. "You know what, I usually have extra accessories in my glove box. Check and see."

Mal obeyed and found, tucked away, a hair adornment with white studs that looked like an assortment of silver leaves, a few bangle bracelets, and a variety of necklaces. She forewent the necklaces but took the hairpiece and the bracelets out. She quickly did her makeup as Evie directed them to the royal's entrance, pausing only to give the guard an assortment of passes and papers before Evie was allowed to descend straight into the heart of the castle.

Jay and Carlos, to Mal's surprise, were waiting for them. "What are you doing here?" Mal gasped as she climbed out of the car, hastily shoving things back into Evie's makeup bag.

"We brought you your dress," Jay announced, holding up a long, white cocktail dress with blue and yellow lace scattered around the bottom like she was supposed to be walking on the sunrise or something. "Belle thought you'd be quick enough to get up in time but we saw the traffic and decided to bring it to you so you could just go straight up to the party."

"Did you get your makeup done?" Carlos asked, squinting at her. "Oh, yeah. See, bro?" He elbowed Jay in the ribs. "I told you Evie would have some stuff."

"I always have some stuff," Evie announced, crossing her arms. "Just like Mal never has her pass ready. I was almost arrested for kidnapping her on the way in."

"Tough crowd," Jay scoffed. "Sounds like an adventure. Unfortunately, you are out of time. Have you been getting any of Ben's messages?"

Mal let out a nervous laugh. She hadn't even heard her phone buzzing. "I'll check them later," She decided, taking her dress from Jay and shoving the makeup bag back under the seat.

"There's a restroom over here," Evie pointed. "Let's get you changed." She steered Mal towards the restroom and shoved open the door. Quickly, the two girls worked together to get Mal changed out of her t-shirt and ripped jeans and into her ball gown. The official one that was actually in the colors of Auradon instead of her signature color for once.

"Faster, faster, faster," She urged Evie under her breath as her friend hid Mal's bra underneath the dress and fixed the angles the skirt flounced out in. She quickly braided Mal's hair back and used the silver hairpiece to hide the hasty work. Then they ran back out to the boys, locked Evie's car, and took the elevator up to the main floors.

Belle, Adam, and Ben were all waiting beside the doors to the ballroom, exchanging nervous looks when the core four came tearing around the corner with red faces. Carlos was still holding Mal's heels, which they'd forgotten about. She was still tennis-shoe clad.

"There you are!" Ben gasped in relief as she reached him. They exchanged a quick hug.

"I'm sorry!" Mal gasped for breath as Carlos realized he still had Mal's shoes balanced around his fingertips and began trying to get her attention. "There was a crash and then the salon was backed up and traffic got crazy before I almost got Evie arrested…" She took her shoes from Carlos and Jay leaned down to help Mal take off her tennis shoes since Evie wasn't exactly the best person to be bending down at the moment.

"You almost got Evie arrested?" Ben repeated with a growing expression of horror. "What happened?"

"Did you lose your card?" Adam asked sternly.

Mal groaned as she put her shoes on the ground and tried to step into them. "Yes, momentarily. But it's fine, I got it." She borrowed Ben and Carlos's shoulders for balance as she wrestled her feet into the evil shoes.

"Well, you look great," Ben laughed as she stabilized herself with several deep breaths. She slumped against the wall, and he handed her a sheet of paper to read off of. At least she hadn't had to memorize everything. She got a cheat sheet. Mal smoothed it over and began to skim as Jay gathered up her tennis shoes and socks with rolled eyes.

"How much longer do we have?" Mal asked as she finished reading.

"You made it with exactly two minutes to spare," Ben told her with a chuckle. "They'll be presenting you, and then us, any second now."

Mal could only groan in response as her friends gave her a couple of quick hugs. "God save me from the beast that is Auradon," She whispered. "Okay, I'm calm."

The doors opened a crack and Lumiere appeared. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw her. "Come now," He commanded, taking her hand and helping her through. "It's good you're here; they're announcing you now."

And sure enough, down the hall, she could hear Cogsworth pronouncing her name with dramatic detail. "Lady Maleficent 'Mal' Bertha, of the Auradon Royal Courts, representing her home of the Isle of the Lost."

Lumiere guided her to the end of the hallway. Mal took a deep breath and turned the corner into the light. A gigantic stairway that she, personally, liked to slide down the banisters on, opened up into the large ballroom, which was currently filled with hundreds of Kings, Queens, Lords, Ladies, Dukes and Duchesses. Not to mention the servants. She painted what she and Ben referred to as a 'political smile' on her face and took hold of the banister to keep from tripping as she did her best to not resume her Isle strut down to the crowds. As always, her appearance was met with applause and murmurs of approval for her outfit.

She reached the bottom of the staircase where she saw a few familiar faces gathered – Lonnie, Jane, Fairy Godmother, Chad Charming – and carefully lowered into a curtsey before they turned their attention to the top of the stairs

Cogsworth cleared his throat. "The former King and Queen of Auradon, Adam, and Belle, representing the royal palace."

Representing the royal palace was another thing that she was supposed to do as queen. Soon, it'd just be 'Former King Adam and Queen Belle'.

Ben's parents appeared at the top of the staircase and began to descend in a dreamy fashion. They looked out over the crowd some, but not as much as they looked at each other. Mal couldn't wait for the day that was Ben and her.

Belle and Adam went to stand beside Aurora and Phillip and Tiana and Naveen as Cogsworth cleared his throat one last time. "His Majesty, representing the official government of Auradon, King Benjamin!"

She was jealous that they left out his middle name.

Ben appeared at the top of the stairs, looking down over his people with a bright, shy smile. He descended the stairs after everyone, reminding Mal of how he'd looked at her Cotillion, walking down the steps after her. This time, however, Uma wouldn't be interrupting.

Halfway down the steps, he took a microphone from a servant and looked for her at the bottom of the stairs. She picked up her skirts and walked back up to him. They met halfway. He bowed, and she curtseyed, and he pressed the microphone into her hands with a kiss to her cheek. Mal cleared her throat as he went to stand behind his parents.

"Test," She announced as clearly as possible, testing her voice and the mic at the same time. "Lovely, it works. Thank you all for coming tonight. On this evening, September twentieth, we gather to celebrate the formation of Auradon, the unification of kingdoms, and the continuation of peace in the land. It is the twenty-eighth year of peace, or year twenty-eight in the days of Auradon. King Benjamin, our second king, currently resides on the throne, long shall he reign."

The crowd echoed after her, "Long shall he reign." And thus ended Mal's memorized portion of her speech. She opened the paper without looking down and then delivered the redundant section that was heard every year about the beginning of the kingdom – how Adam and Belle had unified everything, and the election had placed ruling power in their hands. It was quick, but not quick enough. Finally, she refolded her paper and began to descend the stairs as the room erupted into applause. When she reached Ben, she tucked her folded speech into his breast pocket, and they looped their arms together.

Evie, Jay, and Carlos, who did not have to be announced, had slipped in unseen during Ben's descent of the stairs. The boys hung around the concessions table as Evie found a chair to sit down in. She was looking a bit ill. Jane and Carlos stood together, hand in hand, while Lonnie and Jay made a competitive game of sticking their tongues out at each other when their partner wasn't looking.

Belle and Adam were able to disappear to go and talk with their old friends, but Ben and Mal stayed near the stairs, backs straight, as guest filtered by, shaking their hands.

"Relax," Ben laughed in between light conversation. "It's over. You did fantastic."

"Ugh," Mal grumbled in return.

"Mal!" A sickeningly familiar cheery tone exclaimed. Mal looked up in surprise as she recognized Audrey, who was standing beside a tall, dark-haired man. She was balancing a small child – a girl – on her hip as she approached Mal with a bright, blinding smile. "Oh, my goodness, I don't think I've seen you for years! That is a beautiful dress."

"Thank you, Audrey," Mal smiled, dipping into a curtsey. "Who is this?" She gestured to Audrey's small family.

"This is my husband, James," Audrey introduced with a smile. "And this is our baby girl Angel." She moved the child as if to show her off to Mal.

Ben took a step forward and took the small girl's hand. "She's beautiful," He told Audrey. "She looks like you in all your old pictures."

Audrey laughed in agreement. Her husband, James, turned around and took two glasses of wine from a servant who was walking through the crowds. Ben watched him as he turned and offered a glass to Audrey, who accepted it.

"How have you been?" Audrey asked Mal, who watched the little girl's eyes train onto Audrey's glass. "I don't see a ring on you yet."

Mal blushed bright red and twisted her hands together. "No, no ring." She shrugged.

"Ben, you need to get on that," Audrey told her old friend with a smile. "She won't wait on you forever."

Audrey's little girl, Angel, started trying to reach for her mom's drink. Audrey swayed the girl's hands out of her reach. "Oh, no, sweetheart," She told the little princess. "Not for you. James, do we have any juice for her?"

James began to reach into a bag that hung around his shoulder as Audrey held the glass away from her. Ben and Mal watched as Angel pouted her lip and continued to reach. "Here," James told Audrey, procuring a sippy cup of juice. He handed it to Angel, but the small child wasn't interested. She dropped it immediately. Audrey leaned down quickly to try and catch it as it fell and missed entirely. Mal watched in slow motion as, while Audrey's posture changed quickly, her wine sloshed out of her glass and flew right at her.

She was suddenly aware that she was very cold as the red wine doused her bodice and rolled off of the fabric, spreading down to her skirts. She gasped as Audrey moaned in horror. "Oh no!" Audrey exclaimed. "I'm so sorry."

"That's okay," Mal gasped. She glanced around and noticed Evie was already standing up to come to her rescue. "I think I might just… go up to change."

Ben grabbed her arm in panic. "Problem," He told her immediately. But before he could say anything else, Evie appeared.

"What happened?" Evie groaned. "Oh, red wine…" She pinched the bridge between her nose in exasperation. "Do you still have your spare gowns up in your closet?" She asked.

"Yes," Mal nodded, still stunned over watching the red ruin her dress. "Let's just… slip out."

"You can't go into your room," Ben interrupted with a pained expression. "We were going to tell you when you showed up… there was a chemical spill when your carpets were being cleaned today. In the closet and over by your desk. They have to let the room air out before they can clean it because the cleaner smell isn't safe. And… a lot of your outfits were ruined."

Mal wilted. "I don't have another dress besides the ones in my room," She moaned, shivering a little as the wine soaked through to her skin and began to make her feel sticky.

"Well…" Evie trailed off hesitantly. "There's that one down in the car…" She bit her lip as Mal's expression crumpled.

"You have one down in the car?" Ben asked. A look of relief spread across his face. "That'd be excellent. Evie, can you help her, or should I-"

"I've got it," Evie cut him off, taking Mal's hand. "We'll be right back."

"Evie, you're a lifesaver," Ben told her as he took a half-step back. "Let me know if you need any help. And Mal-" He took her arm and gave her a smile. "I'll cover for you. Don't worry."

As Evie hastily led Mal away, Mal heard Ben start to say: "Thank you, Audrey," Before she was out of earshot and his voice blended in with the rest of the crowd. She sighed bitterly as Evie wove her around a few dozen crowds.

Mal pouted as Evie led her out towards a side exit. People gasped and expressed concern when they saw her heading out with her ruined dress. "It'll be okay," Evie sighed as she led Mal back to the elevators. "I think I might actually be able to get that stain out."

"I don't want to wear the other dress," Mal mumbled with a pouted lip. "That means he won't be seeing it for the first time when he proposes."

"I can make you another if you like?" Evie asked with a sigh. She gave her friend a hug, being careful to avoid the red wine. "It'll be okay."

Down the elevator they went and back into the royal garage. Evie pulled the beautiful dress out of the garment bag and Mal held back a sigh of disappointment as they walked back to the bathroom to change her outfit – again. She hated royal functions.

Evie hung the white gown up with a wince and Mal sighed as she looked at herself in the mirror. She looked like she was visiting Agrabah, or maybe Olympus with the style of the dress. And she hadn't noticed it before, but a black belt ran across her middle, sitting low on her hips. Evie walked over and set a hand on Mal's shoulder with a sympathetic frown. "It'll still be magical," She promised Mal. "And really, I can make a new dress for the Cotillion next week."

"I'd kind of already set my heart on being in this when he did it," Mal sighed. "But thank you, Evie. It really is beautiful. It'll probably take his breath away."

"Yeah, you will," Evie agreed, not-so-subtly changing the noun in her agreement. She studied Mal, and her lips pinched into a frown. "Your hair and makeup don't match now," She grumbled. "We have to redo it."

"What?" Mal frowned. "No, I'd better just get back up there. Ben's covering for me, remember?"

"He can cover a bit longer." Evie rolled her eyes as she took out the silver hairpiece and began attacking Mal's hair. The braids had made her hair a little curly, even though she hadn't even had them in for that long. Evie flounced out the natural waves and then a smile fell onto her lips. "I'm going to braid your hair like we did for your first date," She told Mal. "Can you crouch down a little?"

"Do we have time?" Mal frowned, stooping a little anyway.

"Ben's covering for us," Evie replied with an eye roll as she gathered up Mal's hair and quickly began braiding. "And I'm Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen. I always have time for fashion."

Mal sighed and leaned her chin onto the countertop as Evie fixed her hair. She had to admit: it was nice to see the hairstyle after so many years. She'd only worn it a few times since that date with Ben.

"Before you escape, let me fix your makeup," Evie commanded, finishing her work and pulling her phone out to check the time. A smirk spread across her face.

"Evie, I really have to go back up," Mal sighed. "I'm supposed to be running this thing, sort of, and-"

"I haven't been able to do your hair and makeup in years," Evie protested, folding her arms as she started texting someone – Mal assumed it was Doug. "Come on, indulge me."

Mal let out a groan as Evie returned the garment bag, now filled with the ruined gown, to the back of her car. She pulled her makeup bag out and sat Mal down in the passenger seat to correct the hastily-done makeup Mal had put on in the car. Mal squirmed and fidgeted as she glanced at the blank electronic clock in Evie's car out of nervous habit.

"This whole day has been a bust," She sighed as Evie finished applying a pink color to her lips. "For the last five hours, we've literally been late to every single thing. I just want to go to sleep and try again tomorrow."

"Oh, cheer up," Evie smiled. "Besides, you've got a whole night of dancing with Ben to get around to." She capped her lip gloss and smiled. "Viola! Hey, you're wearing Ben's ring still, right?"

Mal glanced down at her hands and held up her right one. On her index finger lay the gold ring with the beastly imprint. "Yeah, I don't really ever take it off," She reminded her friend.

"Hmm," Evie frowned. "Gold. Ugh, this dress goes so much better with silver, but I guess gold will have to work." She opened her glovebox and shuffled around before coming up with a thin-chained gold necklace. "Put this on, and then I'll take you up," Evie commanded, putting the silver bracelets and the hairpiece into the glovebox and straightening up with a sigh as she landed her hands on her stomach.

Mal frowned at her friend as she fumbled with the clasp on the necklace. "Are you okay?" She asked.

"Oh, yeah," Evie smiled. "It's just that all this running around is making me sick." She moved a hand to her mouth in a fist as if she were going to throw up, and then leaned against the car. "Ugh, I can't wait to go to bed either," She sighed. "When does this thing end?"

"At Midnight," Mal grumbled. "Hey, Auradon's got to celebrate themselves."

"Yeah, no kidding," Evie sighed. She pushed herself back up. "Let's head up."

Mal finished latching the necklace and looked down to examine the pendant. She frowned. It was of a little silver dragon with purple gemstones in its eyes. "Why are you carrying around purple jewelry?" She asked.

Evie blinked softly, as if she hadn't quite understood what Mal had asked, and then responded: "I think I forgot to give that to you. Huh. Oh well." She turned and headed back to the elevators.

Once inside, Evie pushed the button for the main flooring. "Oh, Evie, we actually need to go to the ground level," Mal corrected her, reaching to press the correct button.

Evie batted her hand aside. "Relax, Mal, I've got this." She yawned. She was pressing her hands to her stomach as if she were going to be sick. Mal frowned.

"Evie, there aren't any restrooms on the main floor. If we go to the ground floor then-"

"Mal. I've got this," Evie interrupted.

Mal crinkled her nose. "I can't even enter the ballroom from the main floor," She pointed out. Evie didn't say anything; she only made a hushing motion with her hand as she closed her eyes and leaned against the elevator walls.

The elevator doors opened and Evie, who was starting to look a bit pale, took Mal's wrist and led her out. They hurried through the hallways, tracing the same path they'd run earlier as Mal's lips pinched into an increasingly worried look. They paused outside the door to the entrance hallway, and Evie groaned.

"Is there a trash can, like, anywhere here?" She groaned, squeezing her eyes closed in pain. "Ugh," Evie felt around in her pockets for her phone and squinted at the screen. She let out a pitiful sound in the back of her throat. "Okay," She grumbled and tossed her phone onto the floor. Mal caught a glimpse of a screen full of text messages.

Evie straightened up and opened the doors. Mal immediately freaked out. "Evie, what are you doing? We're not allowed to go down the hallway after the presenting!" She hurried to shut the door, and Evie stopped her with a hand and a downright devilish look.

"Too bad," Evie grumbled. "We're going. Now." She seized Mal's wrist and hauled the stammering girl into the hallway. Mal sputtered and dug in her heels.

"I can't go down the staircase Evie! The entire room – I've already been announced!" Mal hurried to explain as she tried to wrestle her hand back from Evie. Evie whirled around in a moment of intense, spontaneous fury.

"Hush!" She commanded. "I know what I'm doing, Mal, and so help me you are going to walk down this staircase right. Freaking. Now." She released Mal's wrist and shoved her forward. Mal tripped a little and stumbled past the threshold of the hall and onto the staircase. Immediately, the room went silent.

Mal's hands shook as everyone looked up at her. She took in everything again – the large room, the multitudes of people – and it suddenly occurred to her that everyone was smiling.

She looked down to the base of the stairwell. Belle and Adam, Jay and Lonnie, Jane and Carlos, Audrey and her family, everyone was there. Even Doug, though he was missing Evie, who had suddenly vanished from the hallway. The only person beside Evie she could tell was missing was Ben.

A hand landed on her shoulder, and Mal looked up. She met brown eyes, and things somehow made all too much sense. Ben took her hand with a scheming smile and began to lead her down the stairs. He, like she, had changed clothes. He wore a black suit with, strangely, purple embellishments. A small collection of purple flowers was even tucked into his breast pocket.

"You look amazing," He whispered in her ear, guiding her down to about halfway up the stairs.

"You're wearing purple," Mal gasped. She couldn't believe it. The color made his eyes look a little darker, actually.

Down below, Evie reappeared and took a stance beside Doug, who wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. No one in the entire crowd said anything as Ben reached into his suit coat. She heard something click. "You're microphoned?" She asked. Her voice echoed a bit in the room from the speaker system.

"Gotta be heard," Ben chuckled. "Don't forget, we're on TV." He gestured out to the crowd. There were cameras broadcasting the event to Auradon, and people had their cell phones out, filming. Mal's mouth went very dry.

"You… you all set me up!" She gasped, turning to stare at her friends. Audrey had dumped her drink on her, Ben and Jay had sabotaged her wardrobe… Evie had hidden her card in the car to slow them down! She clapped a hand to her mouth in shock.

Ben laughed. "I'm not going to take any more time from the party," He told her. "After all, this has been a long time coming, and I feel like you've had plenty of warning." He took her hands and they turned to face each other. Ben cleared his throat.

"Mal, my idea of Happily Ever After changed forever when we started dating. For years now, all I've wanted in life is you. You're my partner, you're my teammate, you're my friend. And there is no one else I want to be my queen." Ben's voice echoed off the walls of the room and at the mention of the word 'queen', the entire room took a breath. Mal, for her part, couldn't breathe as Ben dropped to one knee in front of her, reached into his pocket, and pulled out the long-coveted black box. He smiled at her as he opened the box with a flourish and tears clouded her eyes.

"I want you if you'll have me. You already know my work is a burden, but you've more than proven you're up to any challenge that comes. Mal, will you marry me, and be Queen of Auradon at my side?"

Mal couldn't breathe, couldn't speak as she nodded over and over and over. She dropped to her knees beside him and threw her arms around his neck. And it was only then she finally found her voice again. "Yes," She gasped, sounding a bit hoarse with emotion. "Yes, yes, I'll marry you."

The entire room exploded into sound. Mal felt Ben fumbling with her left hand, and then something cold and metal slipped onto her finger. She withdrew a little to examine the ring. She was smiling so hard she almost couldn't see straight as she looked down and saw a silver band with a low-set diamond and dozens of pretty purple offset stones. She twisted her hand and examined the back of the ring, and then noticed something inscribed underneath the diamonds. It read: "happily ever after."

Ben got to his feet and helped her up as tears filled her eyes and immediately began to spill down her cheeks. The room was still applauding, people were still screaming in celebration as Ben tucked her arm into his elbow and began leading her down the stairs. Evie, Jay, Carlos, and all their families started up and met her halfway with hugs and calls of celebration. Mal let go on Ben long enough to latch onto Evie and begin sobbing into her friend's shoulder.

Jay eventually pried her off of Evie so he could pick her up and spin her around. "Why so sad?" He asked. "You did it! You said yes!"

Mal hid her face in his shoulder, well-aware her makeup was probably ruined. "I'm just happy," She hiccupped. "I'm really, really happy."

Evie seized Mal's hand, looking irritable. "Let me see the stupid ring!" She demanded crossly. Mal laughed as Evie spread her fingers and let out a squeal when she glimpsed all the sparkly rocks. They threaded their fingers together and let out two identical twin screams of pure excitement.

"That's beautiful!" Audrey cheered as she looked over everyone's shoulders. She smiled sheepishly at Mal. "Sorry about ruining your dress," She apologized.

"Oh!" Mal huffed, balling her fists up. "You all set me up!" She pointed at each of her friends accusingly. "I thought he was going to propose next week!"

"Thanks, guys," Ben laughed, reaching around her to fist-bump everyone one-by-one. "I owe you all big-time."

"Yes," Evie agreed, curling her lip. "We ruined a perfectly good cocktail dress and I almost got arrested."

"You hid my card!" Mal protested, digging her nails into her palms. "And that text thing! You're all dirty, dirty liars!" She pointed at Jay. "You brought my dress down so I couldn't go to my room, and you and Ben sabotaged my room so I had to wear this, and you even made me think it was going to be at Cotillion!"

"You really thought I'd ruin Ka-Okee's night?" Ben laughed. "And your room is fine. Actually, we filled it with surprises. You're welcome."

"Evie stalled me." Mal pointed at her best friend accusingly. "And Carlos-"

"Didn't almost ruin everything," Carlos interrupted with a laugh and a wince. "I orchestrated the traffic jam that almost made you late and helped with the microphones and equipment."

"By the way," Ben paused, opening up his suit coat and switching the microphone off. "Can you help me take all this junk off?" Carlos moved to help him as Doug continued explaining everything in lieu of everyone fawning over Mal.

"Carlos got the guard to slow you down, Belle asked the carpet cleaners to act as if there was a mistake and they were late, and Ben asked Audrey to knock her drink on you. The hardest part was for Evie to get you up on the forbidden staircase without you getting suspicious enough for Ben to not catch you off guard." He put a hand on his wife's shoulder as Evie began to calm down.

Evie slumped into Doug's side with a yawn. "I'm about done. Watching Mal panic about everything for the last few hours has worn me out."

"You feeling bad?" Jane asked, patting Evie's shoulder sympathetically.

"Yeah, she was about to throw up when we were in the hallway," Mal frowned, examining Evie in worry.

"I did on the way down, in the restroom," Evie sighed, resting a hand on her ribcage. "It's time for me to go home."

Ben paused. "Oh, are you pregnant?" He asked. Evie flushed and nodded with a happy smile as Doug took her hand and threaded his fingers through hers.

"Let's get you home," Doug whispered in her ear. He inclined his head to the group. "Congratulations, Ben and Mal. I don't know why you waited so long, but I'm glad you finally did it."

Mal glanced down at her hand with a wistful smile. "You had this for seven years?" She asked Ben.

"I've known for a while you were the one," Ben laughed. "I was just waiting for you to realize that." Mal blushed as she took his hand again. He reached up, guided his hand down her jawline, and brought her mouth up to his. Immediately, her friend all exploded into disgusted sounds, though it was clear they were all still very proud of what they'd accomplished. Mal relaxed as she felt the familiar magic tingle her fingertips and light her emotions on fire.

Belle appeared, hurrying up the stairs. "Mal!" She called, drawing her new future daughter-in-law away from her son. She held out her hands. "I want to see the ring!" She demanded. Mal laughed as Evie stepped forward for one last hug before Belle seized Mal's hand and began to examine the ring with intense scrutiny. Doug led Evie away, out the doors, and presumably down to her car. 'It's beautiful!" Belle proclaimed. "Now, when are you getting married? Have you talked about anything yet?"

"Nothing." Ben shook his head. "But I'd be willing to bet Mal wants a winter or spring wedding." He elbowed her with a smile. Mal immediately shook her head.

"No, no Ben," She declined. "I want, like, a tomorrow wedding. Is there any chance we can elope tonight?"

"Evie will murder you," Jay replied immediately with a wide look in his eyes. "She's been planning dresses since she learned your cotillion was getting engaged to being engaged. If she doesn't get the chance to make at least one, she will go ballistic."

"Yeah, let's not anger the pregnant Isle lady," Carlos laughed nervously.

"What do you mean, 'at least one'?" Mal asked with a furrowed brow. "Only one dress is needed, and really, we all know I'd be fine to get married in my jacket and combat boots anyways."

"Auradon might have a thing or two to say about that," Ben rolled his eyes. "The whole 'white wedding' thing is strangely important to everyone. People might revolt."

The group threw their head back and laughed before a sudden crash came from the concessions table. An entire table had collapsed, and the young Duke Alan Tudyk of Weselton was struggling to get up from it. The young man's coattails were covered in the jello pudding he'd landed in as he howled in outrage. He appeared to have been thrown, and it didn't take much deducing to see the source of the commotion. Adam's fists were balled up about ten feet away and he was shaking like the ground as a volcano went off. His face was beet-red and, for a second, Mal could have sworn she was looking at the Beast, and not Ben's dad.

"Adam?" Belle gasped beside Mal as Ben took Mal's hand and squeezed it. Adam didn't hear her as he procured an accusing finger directed in the young Duke Weselton's direction.

"Get out of my house!" Adam bellowed. More people in the room who hadn't been alerted to the disturbance when the table had crashed were staring as Alan struggled to his feet. "I'll not hear your blasphemy again!"

"Mark my words!" The Duke yelled, wiping what looked like the remnants of a slice of cake off of his face and hurling it onto the ballroom floor. "This is it for Auradon!"

People gasped in horror at his words, and Mal straightened up beside Ben, ready to fight. The Duke whirled and pointed an accusing finger straight towards their group – straight at Mal. "As sure as we stand here, she'll be the downfall of the kingdom!" He proclaimed. "We can't trust her!"

Ben stepped in front of Mal as Carlos and Jay both took up defensive stances. Mal was shocked as the Duke hurled another fistful of smashed cake from his shoulder onto the floor. He turned and stormed out of the ballroom, leaving a gigantic mess of frosting and whipped cream behind. People began to murmur as servants appeared and began to take the ruined confections away. Ben held up his hands to gather the attention of the people around him. "Please, everyone, go back to your party." He turned momentarily to squeeze Mal's shoulder and then walked to where the servants were trying to wipe things up. He picked up the platter of destroyed jello and disappeared out the door with it as Mal let out a breath.

Belle left the group to go talk to Adam. Mal watched the two interact briefly, and they headed out the door as Ben reappeared and continued to help with clean-up. Mal looked around at the surrounding guests. While many looked horrified and angry, several stood stone-faced, refusing to meet her eyes. And just like that, she was sixteen again and everyone was angry with her after family day. She could hear Jane's hiss: "he's never gonna make a villain a queen," and could feel everyone's eyes on her.

"Woah, calm down," Carlos told her, setting a hand on her forearm. Mal looked at him, confused, and realized her eyes must have flashed. She averted her gaze and took several deep breaths.

"Mal," Jay whispered. "They're wrong. You're not going to destroy Auradon. They don't know you."

Mal forced a tight smile. "I know," She whispered and looked up to the doors. She slipped past everyone at the base of the stairs and joined the few royals helping the servants clean the food off of the floor. She could feel people's eyes on her as she worked, but she didn't dare let anyone know how the situation had knocked her off-guard. One by one, everyone got up as the mess resolved itself, but Mal wasn't quite sure what she was supposed to do when she got up, so she kept pretending she was wiping up excess whipped cream until a hand stopped her.

Ben took the napkins out of her hand and threw them away. He slipped his arm around her waist and cleared his throat. "We were talking about when you wanted the wedding before we were interrupted," He recalled leading her away and into the crowd, inclining his head to anyone who stopped to congratulate them. "Assuming I can't get out of that charity event and subsequent meeting tomorrow, what's your option number two?"

"Do you think all of Auradon will react like that?" Mal asked, glancing over her shoulder to where the Duke of Weselton had landed.

"No," Ben stopped her, turning her to face him with an intense gaze. "No, they won't. The people love you. I love you. The Duke is just a close-minded fool. Don't listen to him. I honestly don't want you to think about him for another second. This night is about us, and he's wrong about you. Don't believe lies, Mal."

Mal swallowed at the tone of his voice. She'd heard him take that tone less than four times in her life. Under Uma's spell at Cotillion… at the Enchanted Lake when they'd almost broken up… no other instances came to mind right away. "I won't," She whispered.

Ben's gaze remained intent on her for another few seconds, and then he leaned in and gave her another kiss, in front of everyone. Despite the scene and the fact that they were probably being filmed somewhere, Mal felt all her worries and upsets heal. True Love's Kiss strikes again, she thought. A smile appeared on her face. "Maybe we should do a winter wedding," She mumbled against Ben's lips. "Or, like, a next-week wedding."

"Ah-ah," Ben tsked. "Cotillion next week. We can't hold an official event of that importance after their celebration. It's not nice. But we could probably do, like December. You could get married in the snow. Evie would have a field day with all the white."

"She would," Mal laughed as he returned his arm to her waistline and she wrapped hers around his. "So, what was with all the hype about Cotillion? You could have just had everyone make me think you were going to propose over dinner out of the blue or something."

"I'm not casual enough for that," Ben laughed. "And the real reason?" He snickered for a half-second and then schooled his emotions. "John Smith was complaining you hadn't finished filing your part of the paperwork."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Oh my gosh," She covered her mouth as Ben doubled over in laughter. "That's manipulation!" She accused.

"Hey," Ben held up a hand in defense. "It was all done bright and early the morning after you had your text conversation with your friends. Two birds with one stone. You didn't see anything coming and I got you to focus on paperwork."

"You know about those texts?" Mal asked.

Ben snickered again and pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I orchestrated them," He told her, tilting the screen so she could look at what he was doing. He opened a message with Carlos, Evie, and Jay and himself – no Mal. Mal skimmed the messages and covered her mouth as she began to laugh.

Jay: "Kay Ben, I just told her abt Cotillion. She's suspicious but I think E and C 'freaking out' helped.

Evie: Yeah, she's sold on this.

Ben: What's she saying now?

Carlos: She's just spectating. She's reading all the messages but isn't saying anything. BTW she was working on Cotillion paperwork when we started texting her.

Ben: I wonder how much longer until it's actually done. She's had it for almost two months. Anyone want to place a bet for less than a day now that we've done this?

Evie: CARLOS YOU TEXTED THAT MESSAGE TO THE WRONG GROUP CHAT

Carlos: OH SHOOT.

Carlos: SHOOYT

Carlos: SHOOT*

Jay: Your an idiot.

Ben: Please tell me you didn't ruin everything.

Ben: Guys?

Ben: What happened?

Evie: Screenshot She said she's gonna pretend she didn't get that.

Ben: I think it's vague enough. She'll probably think we're going to sneak her away from Cotillion. BTW thanks for the heart attack.

Ben: Oh, she has visitation with her mom on that day.

Ben: EVIE you have a day out with her next week on the night of the Castle Party. Okay, I have a plan, and it involves lots of stress for Mal. You guys up to helping me?

Mal shook her head as she skimmed the texts and watched their plans unfold. The most impressive one, to her, was Ben saying: "If Mal doesn't tell you to go straight to the royal garage, ask her if she has the passes for it. She'll probably agree right away and roll with it without getting suspicious." She'd played right into their hands, and she wasn't even a little bit disappointed. "You guys are good," She complimented Ben. "And then none of you broke character, except for Evie when she snapped at me to go out on the staircase."

"I heard that," Ben chuckled. "By the way, I had no idea she was expecting, and I feel kind of bad for how much of our plan revolved around her."

"It would have had to have been her, though," Mal rolled her eyes. "For one, she would have wanted to have the biggest part anyway. And for two, it wasn't like Jay or Carlos could have sewn a 'getting engaged' dress and convinced me it was for next week, and then helped me change and get ready in the car, and everything."

Ben smiled as he looked down at her outfit. "You look amazing," He told her. "I prefer you in purple over Auradon colors."

"I don't look good in yellow," Mal shook her head. "Remember cotillion? And I had my bright purple hair and… yeah." She trailed off as Ben started to laugh and nod.

"Should I wear purple when we get married?" She asked over Ben's laughter. "Or would Auradon have a meltdown?"

"Auradon would have a meltdown," Ben confirmed. "Maybe Evie could put purple hints in your white dress though." He hesitated. "Actually, maybe we could do a double thing."

Mal tilted her head. "Like… two weddings?" She asked slowly.

Ben shrugged. "Maybe," He shrugged. "And you could wear purple or black or green at the private one, and we could have only our friends and no cameras, and heck, we could do that next week or month or whenever. And then Auradon can have their gigantic, ridiculous, over-the-top white wedding afterward."

Mal let out a wistful sigh. "I'm okay with that," She agreed. "I don't feel like my wedding is something I want to share with your kingdom."

"You don't want to share anything with our kingdom," Ben rolled his eyes. "Not your time, not your wedding, not even me."

"True," Mal grumbled. They hit the edge of the ballroom and walked out onto a balcony. A few couples were out, but not many. They walked over to the railing and Mal leaned down over the edge. "And really," She continued, elbowing Ben coyly, "So long as it gets me into your room quicker, I'm good with anything."

Ben hummed and rolled his eyes. "You're deathly afraid of raising the future heir or heiress of the kingdom yet you can't wait to sleep with me," He whispered as he leaned over the balcony with her.

"Well, it's the benefits, see," Mal shrugged. Her throat felt a bit tight as she considered his reasoning.

"There aren't any benefits to kids?" Ben returned with a raised eyebrow. "A little you or a little me, or a little both of us? And you get to watch them grow up and decorate their rooms and-"

"You sound like Evie," Mal cut him off with an eye-roll.

"Strictly speaking, it's good Evie is thinking like that," Ben shrugged. He put his arm around Mal and began to rub her shoulder with his fingertips. "So, when do you want to get married?"

Mal looked out into the night and considered the black, inky sky. A cool breeze drifted through and made goosebumps rise on her arms. She turned and met his gaze. "Tonight," She admitted. "I just want to be your wife already."

Ben smiled and leaned his cheek on her head. "What about after cotillion?" He suggested. "Ka-Okee gets put in next Wednesday, and Thursday I'm packed, but maybe I can move my last thing on Friday, and we can take all your friends out to DunBroch or to Paris for some whiskey or brandy, get our marriage license, have a ceremony or something, and then come home and start getting ready for Auradon's part of the celebration."

"Can we get back after midnight?" Mal asked. One of the rules, whenever Ben, Mal, or any of their friends went out together, was that the Royals had to get back before midnight. This would be a huge security blitz. He might have to add an entire extra meeting to his schedule to organize it, but it would be awesome. Mal hadn't been allowed to stay out till morning hours since she'd lived with Evie.

"You know what," Ben sighed. "That sounds fun. Let's do it. I'll probably die in meetings on Saturday, but-"

"But you're usually dying in meeting anyways," Mal interjected. "People literally drown you with their problems."

"I sense resentment in that statement," Ben laughed. He pressed a kiss to her head. "We won't be able to go anywhere until after we're publicly married, mostly because I need at least a month's warning before I can drop things and go, but we'll go on a honeymoon together after the white wedding."

"As far as me being queen, does that start after wedding one, or wedding two?" Mal asked.

Ben tossed the idea back and forth. "Technically… you'll be my wife. Which makes you Consort Queen until you're coronated with the official ceremony. So even though you're not immediately the 'Queen' of Auradon, technically your responsibilities change the moment you sign the paper. So… partial queen duties?" He shrugged. "I'll ask dad."

Mal chewed on her lip. "In theory, let's say I take on all the duties of Queen starting Saturday Morning. How does that change your schedule?"

Ben let out a physical sigh of relief. "I can't wait till I get to split responsibilities with you. I've honestly forgotten what free time feels like outside of our dates." He rubbed a hand over his face and thought. "At least half of my day Saturday would be cleared up if you started then. Because then I could move things so they're overlapping, and we can divide and conquer. In essence, my workday goes from sixteen to six, maybe seven or eight hours every day."

"Does that mean I actually get to talk to you now?" Mal asked with a smile.

"Amazing concept, isn't it?" Ben laughed. "What do you want to do? I'm okay to keep holding everything down until you're officially coronated if you want." He drummed his fingers on her bicep in a comforting thrum while he waited for her response.

"Actually, I think I might take over," Mal thought out loud. "That way I get to spend more time with you. Besides, I won't be swamped with Court Duties anymore."

"Well, you will be, but only to a degree since the courts and the monarch are separate. You already know that the king is head of court but when there's a queen she gets a say too. Her say is slightly below the king's but that's just a balance check because she has the power to veto any laws he makes," Ben explained, moving his hands a little as he spoke.

Mal let out a deep breath. "There's so much," She gasped. "How will I ever get it all?"

"I felt like that when I started out too," Ben told her, squeezing her close to his side. "But I had my parents, and you have me. We'll figure it out together. As far as your court duties go, chances are they won't release you until you're officially coronated, but I'm allowed to help if we're married."

"That's new," Mal hummed. "Usually whatever I was doing I was supposed to keep separate from you until it was developed."

"Same with me," Ben laughed. "I get to share laws in-the-making, legal cases, the works. Now it's just that you're not allowed to share what I tell you with your friends."

"The joys of National Security," Mal sighed half-heartedly. She reached for Ben's hand and squeezed her palm against his. "What else do we need to figure out? Who would marry us next week? Where would we go? Where can we find a ring for you?"

"Slow down," Ben chuckled, fiddling with her left hand so he could watch the diamonds sparkle in the dim light on her hand. "I think we have a few heritage rings in the family vaults. I had yours made special, but I could easily wear my grandfather's and get it sized and engraved. We could go anywhere within two hours of the palace and, heck, Dad can marry us since he still holds that power in the law. And if not Dad then I could easily find someone in the palace who's qualified."

Mal watched him move her hand back and forth to see the ring sparkle on her hand with a small smile. "I can't wait," She whispered.

"Me neither," He murmured in her ear. She turned her head to smile up at him and leaned up a little, ready to kiss him.

A door opened down below on the palace grounds, shedding light over all the shrubbery for a quick flash before a thud signified the door had shut again. "I can't believe it!" Someone declared down below. Mal turned away from Ben and leaned down over the balcony as a young man – maybe a duke or a prince – stalked out into the shrubbery with a young woman who had blue-streaked hair followed him.

"Believe what?" She asked in a high, snobbish tone. "Why are you acting like such a baby?"

The young man whirled around and made several angry gestures to the palace behind him. A few of the other couples on the balcony looked down with frowns. "Them, Clara, the royals!" He yelled. Spittle was flying from his mouth. Mal frowned and squinted. The two seemed to be dressed similarly, meaning they were either a couple trying to match or, more likely, two siblings, sent from the same country. The boy continued yelling. "I can't believe the audacity – how dare they?"

"What?" Clara growled, stamping her feet. "It's a perfectly good party we're missing. What's your deal?"

"I can't believe that he'd make a villain a queen!" The boy exploded suddenly, taking off his ties and hurling it to the ground with such force Mal took her hand off the balcony in surprise. "How dare he put the country in jeopardy!"

"Mal?" The girl deadpanned. "That's what you're mad about? Mal?"

"You're not mad?" The boy exclaimed, unbuttoning his suit coat and his sleeves while he turned red, even in the darkness. "He's putting the daughter of the evilest villain ever on the throne of our country, giving her plenty of power to ruin everyone's lives, and not caring that we all might die-"

He started emptying his pockets onto the ground. There were wrappers, a plastic spoon, peanuts and candies, and something greasy wrapped up in a napkin. He ripped off his coat and tossed it onto a shrub as he paced. Mal glanced around them. The other people on the balcony were intently watching the argument down below, and only two were glancing at her cautiously. She assumed most of them hadn't realized it was them standing there due to the night hiding most of their features, like her signature hair. She swallowed and glanced up at Ben, whose lips were pinched into an angry growl and whose eyes were hard with fury. Carefully, she untangled their hands from each other and looked down, examining the ring on her finger as she tried to calm herself down.

"Die," Clara repeated in a deadpan tone. "Doubtful. What, is King Ben just going to up and vanish?"

"No, she'll murder him!" Her brother exclaimed, spinning on his heel and kicking a small shrug, sending a bunch of leaves flying off of the bush. "Him and his family and everyone until it's just her and she's done everything her mom was never able to do! He's a fool, believing her lies and giving her everything she wants. You can't cater to evil, and he's just – walking around – hey Mal, you want this, sure thing. Hey Mal, you want the kingdom, here you go. Hey Mal, should I expose my neck as you raise a knife over my head? Sounds good to me!" The boy shoved his hands deep into his pockets and paced back and forth, practically steaming. "She doesn't deserve any kindness, any celebration, we ought to be summoning the army to stop her before we're all entrapped in her demonic lies and cutting her sinisterly, seductive mouth off. I wouldn't mind seeing her actually punished for her crimes and strung up like-"

"Young man!" Ben finally exploded. The sheer volume was so great that everyone, even Mal, jumped. She almost felt her frame edge into a defensive position before she reminded herself that this was Ben, and Ben wouldn't be hurting her. Her eardrums were ringing. The boy down on the palace grounds stiffened like someone had dumped ice water down his back and turned slowly. Mal dipped her head down, cheeks burning, as people on the balcony backed away from them, leaving her and Ben clearly isolated. Clara squinted up at them, winced, and turned her head away, covering her face in shame as the boy blinked up through the shadows at them. Ben took his arm from around Mal and planted his hands on the railing. He straightened up and glared – really, he glared – down at the young man.

"King Ben," The boy took a breath. His gaze fell on Mal momentarily, and his lip curled in distaste. "I apologize for interrupting your evening," He forced out, sounding like he had just swallowed a pound of rock salt before he tried to open his mouth. "May I congratulate you on your-"

"Save your breath," Ben spat, enunciating every word. He curled his fingers into the balcony railing and then forced his hands to relax. "Your worries are notable, but I assure you we take every precaution for your safety." Ben let out a deep breath and waved his hand. "Leave," He commanded. "Get out of my sight. Georgetown citizens, correct? I'll page ahead to your parents the details of this incident. So help me if I ever see your hide around here, you won't be leaving with perfect teeth. I will take personal pride in disfiguring your mouth for this conversation alone, so don't let me hear another word out of your mouth against my fiancée."

An icy feeling crept down Mal's spine as she listened to Ben's threats. She'd never heard Ben threaten anyone before – she'd never even heard him get angry before, not counting that time at her Cotillion. And sure, she'd heard threats against the royal family. Most notably from last year, when Ben's name had been smeared by the public for the crop failures. And not to mention all the threats she'd heard and had passed on regularly when she lived on the Isle. But she hadn't heard threats like this in a very, very long time, if ever. These threats were precise, striking fear into the hearts of everyone who heard them, and the tone of voice left no one any doubt that Ben would gladly – gladly – carry them out.

The boy coughed a little as he tried to clear his throat. He sounded like he was choking on his tongue as he sheepishly gathered up his jacket and picked most of the trash up off of the ground. He let out a hasty bow before he turned and headed back inside. Mal kept her gaze focused on the ground as the crowd slowly dispersed on the balcony. Her heart thudded against her chest like a hammer beating into her skin. No one said anything to them. Ben's breathing remained heavy and intense beside her. Her fingers trembled from the surprise of his anger and from the cold.

After several minutes of nothing – not touching, no words – Ben put a hand on hers. "I'm sorry for yelling," He murmured quietly.

Mal straightened up and shook her head. "Oh, it's fine. I mean, he wasn't being the nicest, and… I'm not mad."

Ben put his arm around her shoulders and rubbed her arms, which were covered in goosebumps. "Let's not talk about it," He whispered. "Come on, I want to go back inside and make sure he left. Let's find everyone."

They turned and re-entered the ballroom. Music was playing – the DJ had finally started his songs. A large area had cleared for dancing, meaning that a majority of the guests were now wandering through the other areas cleared for guest use – the dining room, the small library, the gardens, basically the lowest floor of the building. Ben and Mal skirted around the dance floor and then clasped their hands together as they began to look for Jay, Lonnie, Carlos, Jane, or Ben's parents. Mal used her free hand to reach into his suit pocket for his phone since hers had probably been taken back up to her room by Doug or one of the servants. The time read 7:20.

"Excuse me," Ben stopped a guard who was patrolling the perimeter of the room. "Can you please see to it that the young prince from King George Town is escorted out? His sister is fine to stay, but he was acting like a disrespectful snot, and I want him to leave early."

"Yes, your majesty," The guard nodded and pulled out a walkie-talkie. He began relaying the instructions he'd just gotten from Ben. As he walked away, Ben slung an arm around Mal's waist and pulled her close to his side.

"Are you hungry?" He whispered in her ear.

"A little," She nodded. Her hands still felt a bit numb from cold.

"Listen," Ben sighed, walking her toward the dining room where additional tables had been laid out. "I'm sorry I yelled. Please, don't think about that boy anymore. What he said… it's just not true."

"I grew up on the Isle, Ben," Mal grumbled. "I know how to take threats." They got in line behind a couple who immediately turned to greet them, thank them for the party, and congratulate them on getting engaged. Ben got Mal a plate of something fancy she didn't know the name of and together they wandered into the library on a hunch. There, they found their group hiding on a collection of sofas near the window, watching guests wander the gardens outside. Ben helped Mal sit down in her dress before he took a seat beside her without a word.

Adam appeared to have calmed down. He was eating the same thing Ben and Mal had just grabbed as Belle skimmed a book beside him. Their hands were intertwined. "I haven't seen you for a while," Belle smiled. "Are you alright?"

Jay craned his head to look at Mal. He was lounging on a window seat. Lonnie had collected cushions off of the couch and was lounging on the floor beside him. He was trailing his fingers through her hair as he studied his surroundings. "You look pale," He told Mal.

Janes and Carlos were sitting on a sofa together. She was leaning back into him with her eyes closed and his arms were latched around her shoulders comfortingly. But at Jay's words, Jane cracked an eye open. "Are you okay?" She asked Mal.

Mal swallowed. "I am," She whispered.

Adam straightened up. "I'm sorry if I scared you, Mal. The Duke of Weselton…" He trailed off, and Ben shook his head.

"No, it's not that, dad," He sighed. "My fault. I lost my cool with this… prepubescent scumbag who was talking about stringing her up in the gardens."

Carlos's face twisted into a vicious sneer and Jay straightened up and cracked his joints. "I hope you set the rules of things clear?" Carlos demanded in a low, threatening tone. Still, he had nothing on Ben's fierce threats. Mal barely batted an eye.

"I did," Ben assured him coolly. "But I snapped, and I know I scared you." He set a hand on her forearm. "Sorry."

"Stop apologizing," Mal waved him off. "I swear, I'm okay. I just wasn't expecting you to yell."

"You yelled?" Jay snorted. "Sheesh, who'd have thought the kitten could roar?"

"Oh, no, Jay," Mal shook her head, and a round of giggles rose up inside her. She began to laugh. "Oh, he snapped!" She clapped her hands together for added effect. Laughing helped the shock of the situation wear off a little. "And everyone around us jumped and you could see the kid's hair standing on end from fifteen feet away." Mal covered her face as she began to laugh spastically. "Everyone backed away. And then he started threatening the kid… holy crap, there are people on the Isle who couldn't have done better." She shook her head in disbelief and directed her attention to Ben. "You," She began with a smile, "are scary." She stabbed her food with her fork and took a bite, still shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't believe it," Lonnie disagreed, shaking her head. "No. Not Ben."

"I was shaking," Mal protested, holding a hand up. "I've never seen him that intense about anything. He was all: 'you're not going to leave with a perfect smile', and 'I will take personal pride in disfiguring your face.'" She dropped off, still shaking her head in disbelief and smirking at Ben, who was looking a bit pink. "We did decide on some things for our wedding," She announced, and then elbowed Ben to signal she wanted him to talk.

Ben cleared his throat. "Mal likes her privacy, so we're going to get married ahead of time and then treat the coronation as her 'official wedding'. That way she doesn't have to wear white, doesn't have to give a speech, and is free to get drunk with her friends."

"That's not what I said," Mal frowned.

"I don't hear you complaining about the idea, though," Ben pointed out. Mal shrugged and subsided.

"When?" Belle asked, glancing over the pages of her book and smiling as if she already knew the answer, though there was no way she coud.

"Tomorrow," Ben claimed. Everyone in the group stared at him as Mal snickered. A smile spread across Ben's face. "Not tomorrow. But we were thinking about Friday. After Powhatan Cotillion. And yes, that's a literal answer."

"Next week?" Belle asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "And it's going to be a tiny, minuscule thing. I'm going to clear my day after three, we're all going to go out for some drinks, and pick up our marriage license before we do a small, non-public ceremony. We're thinking it'll be just us in this group, plus Evie and Doug. That's it." He waited for his parent's approval. Belle heaved a heavy sigh and turned to see Adam's response. Ben pinched his lips together. "We want it this way." He added, hoping to head off any concerns.

Adam shrugged. "We always knew their wedding would be a little weird," He reminded Belle, squeezing her hand. "At least they're giving us some warning instead of just running off and doing it. Okay. Need a priest?"

"Yes, please," Ben nodded with a smile.

Carlos and Jane exchanged raised eyebrows. "Are you really okay with the King of Auradon getting married like this?"

"He's not going to be the King of Auradon, he's just going to be Ben," Mal sighed irritably. "If we – if I – have to put up with royal bullcrap for the rest of our lives, then I at least want to have my wedding in peace. And Auradon will get their fake show of wealth later, in December. Everything will be fine."

"Is Auradon going to know this is a thing?" Jay asked as he went back to threading his fingertips through Lonnie's scalp.

"Maybe eventually," Ben shrugged. "But for now, this is just for us. Because we worked hard for this." He took Mal's hand and squeezed it. "It hasn't been easy. We deserve this much."

Mal smiled. "We'll make it work," She promised him. Across the sofas, Carlos let out a little sigh and pulled out his phone. Mal raised an eyebrow at him. "What are you doing?" She asked.

"Ben… and… Mal… are… getting… married… next… week" Carlos read aloud as his fingers flew across the screen. "Don't… expect… her… to… wear… any… of… your… white… dresses. Might… want… to… start… thinking… black."

"And purple," Jane reminded him.

"And purple," Carlos agreed, adding the statement onto the end of his text. His phone dinged, and a smile spread across his face. "Evie is making death threats through Doug again," He announced to the group.

"How much longer does this last?" Mal sighed as she leaned her head onto Ben's shoulder and began playing with her ring in the light again. Ben pulled out his phone and flashed the time at her. The clock read 7:40 now. Mal watched as he unlocked his phone, went to his calendar, moved a few things around for next week, and then opened a countdown function on his watch. He inclined his head to make sure she was watching as he started a countdown to Friday, three o'clock, next week. She chuckled and let her eyes close.

"She's going to go to sleep," Carlos warned Ben. "She, Jane, and Lonnie. The girls are all tired tonight."

"Add me to that list," Jay yawned. "Lon, you and I need to go home and get some sleep." He pulled her hair back from behind her ears as his fiancée yawned.

"Agreed," Lonnie mumbled. "I'll get up after you." And, expectedly, Jay didn't move, so Lonnie stayed on the floor in her personal cushion palace.

"You guys aren't really going to leave us alone, are you?" Mal grumbled. "Ben and I are supposed to stay up with the party and it literally ends tomorrow morning."

"Yeah," Ben agreed, poking Mal's arm. "We're supposed to stay up with the party. You know, Mal, how can you expect to stay out until two or three a.m. next week if you can't make it to eight tonight?"

"Evie forced me through a spa today and I almost died of stress because of you all," Mal wrinkled her nose. "I have a reason to be tired."

Ben chuckled and set his and her plates aside. "Come on, princess," He invited, standing up. Mal, upon losing her pillow, sat up scowling. He took her hand and pulled her into a standing position. "Let's go dance."

"Why?" Mal whined. "I can't dance."

"Then let's just spin in aimless circles and pretend we're dancing so you can stay awake," Ben laughed.

"We're probably going to head out," Carlos announced. "Classes in the morning." Jane nodded and sat up, swinging her legs off the couch. Jay jolted to attention and got up, and Lonnie, true to her word, followed.

"Bye Mal," Jane bid the purplette. The two shared a brief hug before Lonnie shuffled past with a yawn. Carlos clapped Mal on the back in his hug, and Jay pulled her into a tight embrace. "See you next week," He yawned. "We meeting somewhere, or no?"

"We'll send someone to pick you up," Ben smiled. "Drive safe, guys."

Before they left the library, Ben stopped to give his mom a hug and a kiss on the cheek. "Will you be turning in soon?" He asked.

"Soon," Belle repeated with a nod, setting her book down to wrap her arms around her son. "Good luck with the party. Make sure both you and Mal get to where you need to be – no funny business."

"Does it matter still?" Mal sighed. "No one would know the difference."

Ben rolled his eyes. "I'll make sure of it," He promised his mom. "I love you. See you in the morning."

"Good night," Belle yawned. She picked her book back up and leaned against Adam's shoulder as Ben took Mal's hand and led her back out to the ballroom. It was hard to believe he was all grown up, with a fiancée and his kingdom.

Mal yawned as Ben helped her weave through the crowd towards the floor. He carefully took up her arms and they began spinning with the other couples on the floor.

"Was it worth it?" Ben asked as Mal yawned a little and admired her ring against Ben's suit.

"I can't believe you wore my color," Mal smiled. "You've never looked so good before."

Ben laughed. "So, you're happy?" He asked, which was a silly question since she was always happy with him.

Mal looped her arms around Ben's shoulders and leaned into his chest. She let her eyes drift closed as they kept going, kept spinning. "It's perfect," She whispered. "Everything is perfect."

Ben chuckled. He kept Mal upright as her eyelids grew heavier and heavier until she was tripping over nothing and yawning constantly. They took a break around 10:30 on the stairs, but that was the end for Mal. She passed out on the fourth step up, with her head on Ben's knee and his arm draped around her. The pretty silver ring caught the light and scattered tiny rainbows on her face as the party continued on around her and she slowly slipped away from reality.

* * *

Lady Mal to Become Queen - Auradon News – September 21, 28

Allow us to introduce the next royal bride: Lady Mal, daughter of Maleficent, the first maiden ever to join the official royal family. Hopefully, you already know of her from the eight years she spent dating King Benjamin, son of Beast and Belle and current ruler of Auradon.

In a history-making event, King Ben proposed to Mal in the beginning hours of the celebration of the formation of Auradon on live television. The palace has not released any details regarding when a royal wedding will take place but given that the couple took so much time just to date, it's likely we could be looking at a repeat of the famed tourney star Jay's relationship with his longtime fiancée. Jay also happens to be a close friend of Lady Mal's, so the chances they follow each other's lead may be higher than we think.

When they're wed, Mal will be the most atypical royal bride in this dispensation. She'll be the first descendant of a villain to be marrying into a royal family, and the daughter of Maleficent, at that. She's also one of the few royals who possess the ability to use magic, just a few steps behind Queen Elsa and Queen Rapunzel. Among other things she holds the title of longest girlfriend among any of the royals, the only royal raised on the Isle of the Lost, the only royal who can shapeshift, the only royal who almost destroyed Auradon and, truthfully, the most controversial royal ever in this dispensation.

Ben and Mal have been dating for eight long years, but after the first six months ended, they retreated into seclusion. Mal was accepted as a Lady of the Court six months after arriving from the Isle and has been working with him side-by-side since; even taking up politics professionally after leaving Auradon Prep to be with him. She rose to be the most powerful person in the court, taking up head responsibility right after the King himself. Most of their relationship is hidden from the public eye, though they can often be photographed on casual dates around Auradon, such as the one a few weeks ago at Auradon Prep. Over the years, people have speculated that he was about to propose several times, but each time the palace assured the public that when the time came, they would let Auradon know. Many people speculated it was because Lady Mal simply wasn't ready to take up the role of queen.

Now Mal, who has apparently decided she's prepared, is set to marry Ben and become the second half of the monarchy. She will have the power to veto laws Ben creates, direct all palace personnel, and to create official declarations alongside her husband.

The couple will live at Beast's palace where Former King Adam and Queen Belle also reside. The King and Queen have not given any official statement regarding their future daughter-in-law, but the elder couple was photographed and filmed during the engagement. It's clear they were aware that the proposal was going to go down, and that they were more than okay with it. As far as Mal's mother is concerned, it's safe to assume that she hasn't been told, as she is still available for viewing at the Auradon Zoology Emporium, where she has been for the last year in lizard form.

Ben and Mal met in the fall of 20 at Auradon Prep after Ben decreed that the second generation of villains would be given a chance to choose good and be integrated with the people in Auradon. Mal was among the first four students who almost destroyed his Coronation before turning Mal's mother into a lizard and publicly choosing good over evil. Ben and Mal, who had begun dating previous to Coronation, stayed together despite many people who doubted such a relationship would last. Things have only intensified over the years as Mal rose in politics and eventually moved into the royal palace to live with him and his family.

Today, it's clear that despite political tribulation, the couple is more in love than ever. We're excited to see everything that will happen over the next few years as King Ben and his new wife continue to make changes in Auradon. Long may they reign.

* * *

Animosity after 'Scandalous' Royal Proposal – BG Metropolis – Sept 21, 28

Well folks, it finally happened! King Ben proposed to Lady Mal last night, on the steps of the palace ballroom in front of approximately 2,000 royal attendees. Details about the proposal are still being leaked, but Lady Mal was quoted saying: "You all set me up!" Sounds like someone definitely wasn't expecting her longtime boyfriend to be dropping to one knee that night.

Lady Mal previously opened up the party in a stunning white gown with yellow and blue details, but after an alleged wardrobe malfunction involving a glass of red wine being spilled on her, left the party. King Ben left soon after, reappearing only minutes later in a new outfit with purple detailing. He immediately called the room's attention from the staircase he was about to change Lady Mal's life on and announced that he was about to pop the question – just as soon as Evie, the owner of the popular Evie's Four Hearts and Mal's best friend, finished fixing her outfit. Soon after, Mal appeared on the top of the staircase, looking absolutely bewildered until Ben took her hand and led her down the staircase towards the crowd. He brought out the ring, gave a speech, she said yes, and the rest, at this point, is history.

However, despite the inherent happiness of the two, not everyone was thrilled by the revelation that Maleficent's daughter was about to ascend the throne. Within minutes, there was a commotion as the Duke of Weselton was thrown into a dessert table that had been set up alongside the staircase – the result of Former King Adam losing his infamous temper. Witnesses reported that the Duke was raving about the proposal and the future queen and that he even proclaimed that 'She'll be the downfall of the kingdom' before leaving the scene immediately. Witnesses also report that King Ben reprimanded a young royal who was angrily ranting about Lady Mal on the grounds.

Several other royals and citizens alike have taken alight to social media to express displeasure and worry over Mal's future appointment to the throne. A slow-growing social media presence titled 'Knights for Freedom' have declared their mission: "The throne of Auradon is not for the villains to overrun, and we won't let tyrants like Maleficent's daughter steal away our lives."

No details have been released on a royal wedding. Once Mal is instated as queen, she will have the power to block laws that Ben creates, decree official declarations with her husband, and direct all palace personnel to her bidding. Numerous failsafes exist to keep the monarchy from overthrowing itself, but it will be interesting to see, for the first time, if these systems will be effective in creating the balance of power Auradon so desperately needs. More updates coming soon.

* * *

**I do not own Disney Descendants.**


	3. Chapter 3

"Check this out," Ben proclaimed with a bright smile as she wandered into his office, balancing a large plate of sushi that she'd brought for lunch. She set it down on a side table and walked over to where he was holding two phones – hers and his – and comparing them to a large paper calendar sitting on his desk. She squinted at the paper calendar, taking note of the mostly 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. days and the small, fifteen or thirty minute breaks in between clusters of two or three events, and then glanced at the screens.

"Holy crap," She whispered, taking her phone out of his hand. Her schedule had been completely revamped, starting with next Saturday. Suddenly, she was signed up for meetings she hadn't even heard of, mostly with charities and public organizations. A bewildered smile spread across her face as she took Ben's phone and began comparing his old schedule to his new one. "You went from an eighteen-hour workday two Tuesdays from now to a ten-hour workday?"

"Check out Saturday," Ben advised, doing his best to hide a smirk. Mal glanced over at the date in question and her mouth dropped open. "Three hours?" She asked. She couldn't even remember a day when Ben had had a normal eight-hour workday since they'd graduated. "Is this for real?"

"And they're later in the day, too," Ben pointed. "The first thing is at 2 p.m. That means that the morning after we stay out all night partying, we can sleep in and relax."

"If that's what you want to call it," Mal quipped. Ben swatted her knee a little with an eye-roll and then watched as she skimmed over the upcoming dates with a growing smile. "That's amazing." She whispered. "I mean, I'm not excited about all my meetings, but I'm excited that you don't have to do as many meetings."

"Yeah, and I skewed it, see? You have more charity events, public events, things that will make you look good to Auradon while I'm taking on more of the law hassling and judiciary stuff. And now that we have this balance, maybe I'll even be able to take Sundays off," Ben pointed out. He clicked a pen and then began crossing out things on his paper calendar with an almost sadistic look.

"Hopefully this will help me find something to be involved in, right? Didn't you say Auradon likes the queen to be involved in stuff?" Mal asked. She watched him write: "Moved to Mal's schedule," on a corner of a meeting notice and turned off their phones with a smile.

"That's right," Ben nodded. "And I was thinking of a few suggestions if you want them?"

"Yes, please," Mal nodded. She stood back up and went to go grab her platter of sushi. This she brought back over to the desk and put it down on top of the calendar, effectively ending Ben's scribbling. "Also, it's lunchtime. Stop working and pay attention to me."

Ben laughed. He uncapped a sealed container of wasabi and scooped a bit out with his finger. He waited as Mal pulled up a chair and then moved in for the kill, dabbing it on the end of her nose. Mal made a face at him as she reached for a napkin with a growl.

"Okay," Ben began, picking up a pair of chopsticks and using them to leverage a roll to his will as he thought. "Firstly, there's always a need to help lower-income families. There aren't as many in Auradon city though, so you'd have to travel a bit. I was thinking you might like more to help with a.) disaster victims or b.) education support. There are other groups of course, but those two have been really prominent in the news the last few weeks and also I know you happen to have… opinions on those two things."

"I have opinions on the state you left the Isle of the Lost in," Mal crinkled her nose. "How many disaster victims could Auradon possibly have?"

"You'd be surprised" Ben exhaled, slumping into his chair and staring at the ceiling. "We've actually had a steady increase the last few years in kingdoms like Powhatan, DunBroch, Ariel's gateway, Camelot-" He broke off with a dramatic sigh. "Places where they let things fall into disrepair before actually fixing them."

"Ariel's gateway?" Mal asked with a raised eyebrow.

"They have climate problems from that wall they built to protect Melody and harsh weather," Ben explained. "So everything made of wood rots a bit quicker. It's hard to keep up." He popped another sushi roll into his mouth and chewed as he thought. "I was giving a broad 'disaster' description though. Really, you could specialize in victims of a certain disease, sexual assault victims, roadway victims, or maybe-"

"Victims," Mal cut him off. She exhaled. "Education is something I can get behind though. What were your thoughts there?"

"Education is always prevalent because people are always convinced that they're being wronged," Ben shrugged. "And it'd be easy for you to work on the school board because they meet in the evenings when you're free, and it'd make you super popular in the eyes of parents and young children."

"Or super hated," Mal shrugged. Ben sunk a few inches into his chair and let out a longsuffering sigh of agreement. "I don't know. Is there a date I need to have decided what I'm going to throw my weight behind?" She asked.

"Of course not," Ben shook his head. "And you can always change directions. I'm just tossing ideas at you."

"How come I have to get involved?" Mal frowned. "Isn't being queen enough? What do you get involved in?"

"I pass laws since I'm the heir to the line," Ben laughed. "You can make declarations, and you can stop me from making laws, but you can't pass them unless a state of emergency is declared and I'm unable to."

"So, if you died or were seriously ill or something?" Mal asked. Ben nodded in acquiescence. Mal sighed.

A blinking light appeared on Ben's intercom receiver. "Your Highness?" One of the palace secretaries asked.

Ben clicked a button on the receiver. "Yes, Debra?" He asked.

"Someone from the… Knights for Freedom would like to schedule a meeting with you?" Debra relayed uncertainly.

"Knights for Freedom… Knights for Freedom…" Ben grumbled, lifting the sushi tray up to glare at his calendar. He leaned over and opened the connection again. "I have a meeting scheduled with them for next Thursday."

"The Knights _for_ Freedom, not the Knights _of_ Freedom," Debra annunciated.

"Oh," Ben sighed, setting the tray back down and pinching the bridge of his nose while he began to shuffle papers around on his desk. Mal picked up his phone and handed it to him, ending his search. He smiled at her and mouthed: "Thank you." "Knights for Freedom, Knights for Freedom... where have I heard of them?" He pressed the button on his receiver again. "Debra, who are the Knights for Freedom?"

"They're the… sorry, one second," The line went dead. Ben drummed his fingers on his desk like he was trying to remember something. "Oh. Maybe you don't want to schedule this meeting after all," Debra winced, "They're the extreme Monarchists who have their social media thing against the villains and the Isle of the Lost. They say they want to speak with you regarding the immediate security of the Kingdom."

Ben's shoulders fell and he stared at the ceiling in hopelessness. "Yeah, I might need to think on that one. Let me guess, they're angry about me proposing."

Debra didn't respond for a few seconds, and then responded: "Yeah, that would be it."

Ben rolled his eyes. "Not now," He told Debra. "I'm not taking any press or any meetings regarding my personal life for the next two weeks. You can tell them that Espousal Day details are still being hammered out and they will be released on October fourth."

Debra's side of the connection went silent and Ben buried his face in his hands with a groan. "This is ridiculous," He grumbled.

Mal took a silent bite of sushi as Ben began to shuffle through things on his phone. After a few seconds, the intercom came back to life. "Your Majesty," Debra began in a weary tone. "They announced they're going to come up to the palace to protest and hung up. Shall I post guards about the entrances?"

Ben grumbled as he pressed the intercom receiver. "Yes, only about the entrances though and tell them to not allow anyone to hurt palace grounds or crowd entrances." Then, after a brief hesitation, he asked: "Debra, have you been receiving the notifications about responsibility and schedule changes I've been making all morning?"

"Um… no," Debra mumbled. There was the sound of shuffling papers on her end. "Oh, yes, yes. Is this in regards to Lady Mal? Oh, wait, yes, it is." Debra hummed for a few seconds. "Oh, next week? Really?"

Mal snorted, and Ben rolled his eyes at her amusement. "Yes, starting next Saturday. I just let her know of the changes."

"Is she allowed to take stuff up before you're married? And why is there nothing scheduled for Friday?" Debra asked. "I thought you had that charity thing and now you're blank from two o'clock onwards."

Ben started chewing on his cheek in thought as he tried to stop a laugh entering his tone. "Well, see, Mal and I dated for a very long time and neither of us sees the point of a long engagement and we want to have a ceremony away from the kingdom so-"

"Please tell me you're not eloping overnight and not announcing anything to the kingdom a week before you're actually announcing the details of your wedding," Debra groaned. "Because you know that will just send people into fits over how she's 'infiltrating the palace' and 'going behind the public's back'."

"You know what, too bad," Ben declared through the intercom with a snort. "This isn't really about the kingdom. We're going to do a large event for her coronation and treat it like Auradon's wedding. Chances are most people will never realize we were actually married before then."

Debra made a sound of disbelief and there was the sound of more papers being shuffled around. "This is going to be so much paperwork," She groaned. "Okay. Fine. It's your wedding, your life, your kingdom, fine. I assume you don't want this information getting out?"

"Yes, thank you, Debra," Ben chuckled at her dismay.

"I need Mal's Phone so I can key it into my system, so I can schedule meetings ahead of time for her," Debra reminded Ben. Ben nodded and sighed as he looked around for Mal's phone. She held it up to show him, and he gave a thumb's up without reaching to take it from her.

"You'll have it before next Friday," Ben promised, sending a pointed look at Mal, who only rolled her eyes and gave him a thumb's up. "Anything else?"

"Ugh. I'm sure there's a list, but I have to put it together. Are you in-office for the rest of today?" Debra asked. Ben exhaled and budged the tray aside to check his schedule.

"No, only until two. Then I'm out-of-palace and down to Charming Castle. I'll be back around five, and then Auradon Emergency Services has a late-night meeting at seven," Ben rattled off. His shoulders slumped down in exhaustion as he listed the things he had to finish that day.

"Hmm," Debra hummed sympathetically. "Only one more week of this, I guess? Well, I feel bad to remind you of this since I know you have to fix things up there, but Corona is welcoming a new royal baby in three months and you have to clear the Cathedral for use since it's officially a historical landmark, finish paperwork from your meeting with the Charmington Officials last week, and you still haven't sealed those laws you've been working on for the last year."

Ben slumped into his chair a little and shook his head. "I have an hour and ten minutes; I'll try and finish everything up," He sighed. "Okay, thank you, Debra. You're a lifesaver."

"You're welcome, your highness," Debra replied. The light finally blinked off. Ben dropped his head to his desk and thumped it lightly against the wood a few times before he closed his eyes and made an incomprehensible sound at the back of his throat.

"I didn't know Corona was expecting a royal baby," Mal began in a lighthearted tone, reaching over and running her fingers through Ben's hair. He grimaced and sat up.

"Yeah, they are," He confirmed, stealing a sushi roll with his fingers, which was against the rules, and opened a drawer in his desk. "And do you know who it is?" He asked, setting a folder stuffed full of papers onto his desk and finding his pen from before.

"Who?" Mal asked. She moved the tray to give him more room. It was pretty clear that lunch, short as it had been, was over for him.

"Anxelin," Ben shook his head. "That's crazy to me. She was a year younger than us in school and then she married someone from Corona before Evie and Doug even got married. Now she's expecting… I think a boy."

"I thought Rapunzel's daughter was a first-year when we were seniors?" Mal asked with a frown.

"That's Ruby," Ben corrected her. "And _she_ just barely got engaged and they sent out wedding announcements for next summer, like, two weeks ago." He let out a breath as he signed his name at the bottom of one of the documents in his folder and flipped to the next one. "By the way, want to be my date for the Corona Wedding and subsequent Cotillion as Mr. Jack Coebly becomes Lord Jack Coebly?"

Mal let out a laugh. "Only if there's a cake."

Ben laughed and continued shaking his head. "I can't believe she's having a baby. I literally grew up with her. She threw a ball of mud at my face during summer camp one time."

Mal burst into laughter. "Oh, I wish I could have seen that," She laughed. She imagined a smaller Ben spitting mud and pebbles out while struggling to get to his feet.

Ben joined in with her laughter. "Yeah, she had her moments growing up. We all did."

"I mean," Mal giggled, "People still talk about the time I almost destroyed all of Auradon, so…"

"Exactly," Ben agreed. He went down a checklist, blacking out little circles and squares before scribbling his signature on the bottom. "Okay, I'm going back to work. Thank you for bringing me lunch."

Mal frowned. "Ouch, I've been dismissed," She mourned, standing up and taking the remnants of their food off of his desk. Ben gave her a weird look, and she paused. He was giving her a look that told her she was stalling, meaning… "Do I have something right now?" She asked with a wince.

Ben looked at his watch. "Soon." He corrected.

Mal scrunched up her face, trying to remember what Ben remembered and what she didn't. He rolled his eyes. "Evie is coming up to do a dress fitting with you. She literally texted you five minutes before you handed me your phone to fix it today."

Mal let out a sigh of relief. "Thank goodness it's not actually important," She sighed. "Okay. I'm going to go then. I love you."

Ben smiled and waved as she walked towards the door. "I love you too," He told her. She heard the continuing scribbles of his pen on paper as she walked away.

* * *

On Friday night, September 29th, Mal was waiting for Ben outside his last meeting, listening to the unintelligible debate as they finished things up. There was a sudden silence, and then the room exploded into sound. That was a good sign. Mal glanced at her watch. They were scheduled to wrap up in five minutes, but maybe they'd finish a few minutes early. Mal pulled a tube of chapstick out of her pocket and ran it over her lips. The doors opened and she slipped into the doorframe as people began to stream out in small clumps, heading home for their weekends.

Wow, it must be nice to go home and not have work the next day. Ben was lucky if he could take off Christmas day and one of their birthdays, usually hers. When he'd turned twenty-two, he'd taken off half of the day, similar to what he was doing today. Ah, the perks of being a lower royal and not having to balance everyone's problems.

Ben stood at the head of the table, shaking people's hands with his right hand and packing up with his left hand. No, he wasn't ambidextrous, he was just really learned at doing many things at once after eight years of single-handedly ruling a kingdom.

"Should we stick around to hear the drama again?" King Eric asked with a laugh as he slipped past Mal. Her cheeks turned bright red. This was the Seaside's yearly conference, so the room was full of Ariel's red and black-headed relatives. She slipped past one of Ariel's nieces who she had gone to school with and took a seat on the table. Immediately, she became a centerpiece.

"Okay, let me see the ring, sweetheart," Melody said, eyes sparkling as she pulled her husband over to see Mal. Other people, mostly girls, gathered around and chorused: "Let us see!"

Mal held out her left hand with a smile. Immediately, gasps ran out around her. "It's beautiful!" Melody squealed. "You're so lucky!"

"Ready to be a queen?" Melody's husband asked, taking Mal's hand to squint at the pretty stones.

"Ugh," Mal scoffed. "No. I'm not. I just want to be married." He laughed and dropped her hand.

"Well, it's only a few more months, right?" He asked with a smile. "Soon you'll be both."

Mal nodded and glanced down the table. Ben was holding all his papers underneath his arm, standing and waiting for her with a bright smile. She had drawn most of the attention away from her, so he was only talking sideways to Ariel herself as people bubbled around her in excitement. A few more months until she was queen, maybe, but in truth, she only had a few hours until she could call herself Mrs. Benjamin Florian. Eek. She had two bad middle names now. Or, rather, she will have two bad middle names.

Melody followed Mal's gaze to Ben. "Are you two going out tonight?" She asked.

"Yes," Mal nodded. A little color filled her cheeks as she beamed happily. "With all our friends. We're going to celebrate."

Melody waved down the table to Ben, who glanced over his shoulder in a joking manner, as if making sure she wasn't waving to someone behind him. He met Mal's eyes and made a motion over his shoulder as if asking if she was ready to go. Mal slipped off the table and parted the crowd with her arms. She walked over to Ben, who set his things down on the table and leaned into the edge as Ariel's relatives let her through. She put her arms around his neck, and he set his hands on her hips to draw her closer. They shared a kiss, inciting squeals from the people behind them, and then Ben picked his things from the meeting up.

"Thanks for coming," He nodded to everyone. "Mal and I are going to slip out now, so we aren't late."

"Have fun!" Melody waved. She linked her arm through her fiancés with a bright, blinding smile as Ben and Mal waved past everyone with their arms around each other's waists.

"Are you going to look like this all tonight?" Ben whispered as they hurried through the corridors towards the garage, where a stretch car was waiting for them. He picked at her shirt, which was a solid purple, modest top. It had a wide hem across the top and bottom, and was elbow length, without any patterns at all. She wore black jeans with black patches underneath some decorative rips, and combat boots.

"Of course not," Mal rolled her eyes. "Evie would flip out if I married you like this." The two shared a laugh, and Ben presented his own outfit to her for her opinion.

"Do you think I'm safe?" He asked. He wore a long-sleeved blue button-up shirt and dark grey pants. "I think this is the same thing I wore to Evie's birthday last year," He continued with a laugh.

"Absolutely not," Mal shook her head. "You should know that Evie never allows for important occasion outfit repeats. Why do you think I need a separate closet for dresses?" She elbowed Ben with a smile. "She has things for you. She didn't trust you to dress properly."

"Ouch," Ben snorted. "You'd think I could have figured it out since I'm twenty-four and I've been king for almost nine years, but apparently not."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Oh my gosh, when did we come to Auradon?" She gasped, staring at the ground as the continued walking. "Wasn't it October? Holy crap, has it really almost been nine years?"

"Isn't it insane?" Ben asked. "Everyone's grown up and gotten married and some of our old classmates have kids…" He shook his head and let out a weary breath.

"We're almost there," Mal smirked. "And then no one can say we're the last in our year to get married."

Ben hummed in agreement as they reached the elevators to the garage. He pressed the button for her and guided her in once the doors opened. Mal waited for him to press the button and then pushed him into the wall of the elevator, pressing herself against him. He laughed at her as she leaned into his grasp, listening to his heartbeat as he kissed her head and rubbed her back. The floors changed, and he leaned down to whisper: "Better get up. You know they won't have let us beat them there."

She hummed in acquiesce and straightened herself, though she stole his left hand and held it tightly. He leaned down just as the elevator reached their floor and kissed her softly. Her toes curled and she leaned into him before they heard the ding of the doors and looked up.

The sound of cheers filled their ears. Glitter spilled into the elevator, making Mal squawk a little in outrage as silver sparkles fell into her hair and onto her skin. Doug, Jay, and Carlos let off four or five tiny party poppers each, the kind that parents got for small children on holidays, making colored paper rain down on the group from above.

Mal raised a hand triumphant over her head and yelled in excitement.

"Let's get this party started!" Jay declared, jumping up onto the palace limo in his excitement, and then helping Lonnie up onto the hood as well.

Ben, Mal, Belle, Adam, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Doug, Jane, and Lonnie crowded into the car and spread out as the driver guided them out of the palace. They all had to show ID on the way out, but soon they were cruising along on their way to Merida's Kingdom of DunBroch.

"I have Newlywed questions!" Evie announced as the car slowed into early evening traffic as people rushed home on their Friday nights. She shook a basket full of tiny papers, and everyone laughed. When Evie and Doug had gotten married, everyone had come up with embarrassing or funny questions to ask the new couple. Ben snatched one up immediately, cleared his throat, and turned to Mal with utmost seriousness. "Okay Mal, if my mother in law were an animal, which would she be?"

"That is _not_ the question!" Mal protested, snatching the question out of his hand as Ben leaned back into his seat, laughing. "See? It's _not _the question. The question is: what color was I wearing on our first date?"

"You answer first," Ben laughed.

Evie frowned. "Wait, but Mal only wears one color! That's not fair!"

"You set up the game," Jay shrugged, shuffling through the papers to find a good one. "Ah-ha! What is the strangest place the two of you have done the dirty?"

"Okay okay, let's not get ahead of ourselves," Mal rolled her eyes. "Ben's mother-in-law would be a dragon if she weren't a lizard. My mother in law would be a mouse because then she could hide away in the library all the time." Mal paused to lean over and high-five Belle, who was already laughing so much her eyes were filling with tears. Or, maybe, that was just due to the occasion. "I wore purple and Ben wore-" She slapped her hand onto her knee as she remembered: "He wore blue but he also had swim trunks with crowns on them underneath that!"

"You didn't answer my question!" Jay reminded her with a frown, waving his slip of paper like a little flag. "Strangest place, come on. My guess is on the Isle of the Lost somehow."

"No," Ben shook his head, covering his eyes and pinching his brow in the same motion.

"Ben's king," Mal reminded her friends. "He's not allowed to conduct himself in such a frivolous manner."

Ben hit her arm lightly. "Quit taking digs at me," He told her. "You were just fine with that explanation when we were nineteen, I don't see why you keep bringing it up more and more now that we're actually getting married."

"Wait, at all?" Jay's mouth dropped open.

"Next question," Mal declared, reaching for another slip of paper. "By the way, we should ask you guys some of these things. Specifically, Jay and Lonnie since they're the ones who are holding out of us."

"You can do the Carlos-Jane-Evie-Doug thing and go for standard engagement time, or you can do Ben and Mal's thing and wait, like, five hours, or you can keep holding out for the right day, and that's what we're doing," Jay shrugged, leaning back into Lonnie's knee and smirking up at her.

"Oh, this is another one we can't really answer," Mal grumbled, shuffling through slips of paper. "Hey, Ben, what do I normally wear to bed?"

"Whatever pajamas are in your drawer," Ben shrugged. "And a ponytail because you hate the feel of hair on your neck as you sleep."

"That's right," Mal nodded with a satisfied smile. "And Ben is big into tank-tops and shorts, but you never know because he wears his blue bathrobe until he actually gets into bed."

The window between the driver and the passengers slid open. "Sorry to interrupt," The driver announced, glancing into the mirror at them all. "Are we stopping by Auradon Courthouse to get a license before we go to DunBroch?"

"Yes, thank you," Ben confirmed, dropping an arm around Mal's shoulder and pulling her close to him. The window closed and Ben picked up the basket of questions and began shuffling. "So, Evie, why don't you tell us what your agenda is while Mal and I go through a few more of these?" He suggested, digging deep and picking one at random.

"I have your outfits in the back," Evie smiled. "And everything is set up. Since Doug, Carlos, and Jane are qualified to witness and your dad is officiating, we can literally do this anywhere once we have your license."

"Like, here in the car?" Carlos asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Don't give Mal any ideas," Adam warned with a grunt. "She'll take us up on that, don't think she won't."

"No," Evie glared at her best friend, who was nodding and looking like she didn't think it was such a bad idea. "No. Not until you're in the dress. So help me, Mal-" Evie made a furious gesture that had Doug laughing and pulling her back so he could rub her hands and calm her down.

Ben elbowed Mal. "First impression?" He asked.

"You were a prince!" Mal exploded, completely baffled. "And then you held onto my hand for an extra two seconds and you were staring at me, and then when you started talking it was right to me and not anyone else, and I was like: What are you doing?"

"Hey, hey Mal," Carlos whispered, reaching across the car to poke Mal with his foot. He flicked his head to Ben and whispered: "Does he shed much?"

"Okay!" Ben groaned as everyone laughed. Belle and Adam, who had heard the joke a few too many times, just shook their heads as they watched the young people interact.

Mal hummed as she raked her fingers through the basket. She picked one, skimmed it, and then slumped her shoulders a little. "What?" Ben asked, leaning over her shoulder. She held it at an easier angle for him to read, and he nodded as he leaned back into his seat.

"What is it?" Jane asked, reaching to steal the basket from Mal as Mal heaved a sigh and rolled her eyes.

"How many kids does your spouse want?" Ben announced to the car. He elbowed Mal. "Zero." Mal took a slow hiss of breath and nodded as Ben rolled his eyes. "Do you know the answer for me?" He asked.

"I don't want to imagine," Mal joked, turning to examine him as he raised an eyebrow.

"Go on, guess," He encouraged. "We've never talked about this, so it's not something you should know an easy answer to."

Mal hummed and traced his facial features with her eyes. "It's between three and five," She announced to the car. Ben's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Five," She decided and leaned back into his shoulder. "Was I right?"

Ben raised his hands in the air with a small laugh. "She knows me, guys." Mal nodded, biting her lip and staring at the carpet as Belle and Adam exchanged amused looks. Everyone else looked a little uneasy at the lack of conversation and the two bitter ends.

Adam let out a guffaw to break the tension. "That sounds _exactly_ like me," He chuckled.

Belle threw her head back a little. "I know!" She laughed.

Mal dropped her shoulders and stared at her future in-laws. "Really?" She asked. "You?"

Belle and Adam nodded through laughter, and Adam pointed at Ben. "Your mother," He began, shaking his head. "Fought _tooth and nail_ for you to be born, and I was not convinced until…" He turned to Belle. "When was I convinced, darling?"

"Right at the end," Belle shook her head, making a motion with her hands to mark the end of a timeline. "I remember you were still shaking your head at me when I was in labor and we were heading to the hospital, and I snapped at you because you were acting like a butthead." She rolled her eyes and squeezed Adam's hand as he laughed and nodded along to her words. "But then I put Ben in your arms, and you held him for a few seconds, and I watched all your walls crumble." Belle spread her hands with a satisfied smile. "So, I got my baby and Adam got over his dad issues."

"In that order," Evie laughed, setting a hand around her belly and leaning her head on Doug's shoulder.

"In that order," Belle agreed, laughing. "And it only took four years."

"But dad," Ben asked, sounding a bit astounded, "You had Auradon to think of. What were you planning on doing?"

"Not having children until I absolutely had to," Adam shrugged. "I just didn't really see the appeal, to be honest. Belle was all over baby names and setting up your nursery and rooms as a kid, and she arranged every birthday, every Christmas, every Easter for you growing up, and when she was making all her plans, I never really got why she wanted it so bad." He squeezed Belle's hand and smiled. "Is it too late for me to tell you that you were right?" He asked.

Belle held her chin up with pride. "Not at all," She smiled, biting her lip as she looked at Ben and Mal, arms around each other and both looking a little surprised. "And really, I think we did just fine with him."

"I think so too," Mal whispered. She leaned her head onto his chest and wrapped her arm around his middle in a flat sort of hug. Everyone laughed. Outside, the car slowed to a stop.

"Here's us," Ben laughed. He got up, still hunched in the small space, and offered his hand to Mal. "Dad, Doug, Carlos, I think we need you guys to witness for us."

"Yeah, I'm staying here to scheme things," Jane laughed, removing her arms from where they'd been around Carlos's shoulders and scooting down towards Evie.

The door opened, and the driver appeared. "Courthouse," He announced, holding out a hand as he helped Ben out. He then moved out of the way as Ben turned to take Mal's hand and help her out of the car.

"Do we need to cover your hair?" Ben asked as Mal straightened up and stretched her arms over her head. She shrugged.

"Maybe," She nodded. She leaned back inside. "E, do you have a hat? And some sunglasses, maybe?"

"I do," Evie declared with a satisfied smirk. She got up. Everyone let her pass ahead of them out of the stretch car before Carlos, Doug, and Adam followed her out. Evie walked around to the back of the car and pressed a button. Inside were two garment bags, some shoes, and a box full of odds and ends. Disguises. Evie handed Mal a wide-brimmed black hat, which she quickly twisted her hair up underneath. Evie handed Ben a baseball cap, which immediately turned him from a 24-year-old executive leader into a 15-year old sports player. They both took a pair of Evie's signature sunglasses and laughed at each other's distorted appearances.

"This is like when you turned your hair white," Ben commented, shaking his head and reaching to curl a little loose purple lock of hair around his finger.

"You're not a fan?" Mal laughed.

Ben shook his head. "I like your purple hair," He sighed. He reached down and took her hand, squeezing it tight to his palm.

Adam took a cowboy hat from Evie and then the five of them walked up to the front doors of the building. It was the first time in many years Mal had been able to use the front doors to a public place that wasn't Evie's spa or salon, or the palace. Usually, she had to be escorted out and around the long way.

The inside of the building was large, made of hewn stone and with large, glorious paintings on the walls. They appeared to be themed around the compass directions – Elsa of Arendelle to the North where she lived, Aurora to the West, for the 'setting sun' theme her story revolved around. Snow White was to the south, probably because her story was first and had begun in the southernmost tip of the Auradon continent before other heroes appeared north of her. And, finally, Belle and the Beast on the East wall, towards the rising sun, because their family was the supreme rulers of Auradon and therefore the sun would always rise on another day of their rule. A skylight made the dust visible in the air, filtering down in soft waves past the glossy oil paintings. A pillar of light fell down, down on top of the head of an office clerk who was behind a desk in the center of the tiled room, carefully feeding papers through a shredder.

"I've got this," Doug whispered to the group, walking towards the clerk. Mal and Ben stood, still holding hands as they stared at the gigantic paintings on the walls. Ben focused particularly on his parents. His eyes followed the slope of the Beast's back, the crooked angle of the horns.

Mal leaned up and whispered in Ben's ear: "Your mom's hair is turning grey."

Ben winced and nodded. "I hadn't realized, but yeah," He whispered. "She's getting older."

Doug set his hands down on the desk of the clerk and waited as he finished shredding and stood with a smile. "Good afternoon," The clerk smiled. "How may I help you?"

"We were hoping to see a judge for a few minutes to apply for a marriage license for those two over there," Doug pointed back towards the group. Ben, Adam, and Mal all directed their gazes to the ceiling so that it would be harder to recognize them from a distance. "I'm here to witness, along with that young man over there, and the larger gentleman behind them is going to be to one to officiate." Doug turned back to the clerk with a smile. "We weren't sure who we needed to have here," He explained.

"Do you have proof of age, proof of citizenship, and a photo ID with you today?" The clerk asked, immediately moving away to draw two long forms out of a drawer in his desk.

Doug glanced over his shoulder. "Please, guys, tell me that this isn't the one time you don't travel everywhere with those papers."

Ben laughed and Mal shook her head with a groan. "I have them," Ben confirmed. "I grabbed an extra copy of hers before I left work today." He patted his breast pocket to signify their location.

"I already have mine," Mal frowned. She unzipped a long pocket in her jeans and withdrew the documents, white and folded in thirds. Her photo ID's were tucked into her back pocket.

"That's a first," Ben laughed. "It's just the event, huh?"

"Yeah," She agreed with a chuckle, glancing back at Doug, who turned to the clerk shaking his head.

"For once they're on different pages," He mumbled. "What else do we need?"

"There's a processing fee of 35 dollars," The clerk recited, pulling two pens out of a jar of beans and handing them with the forms over the desk. "You pay that here, and I'll direct you to a room with a judge. Fill out the forms outside the door and take them in, and they'll give you your license. It'll take about a half-hour."

"Sweet," Ben whispered. He stepped towards the desk and took the forms from Doug as he handed them over. The clerk studied him as if he suddenly recognized him, and then shrugged and returned to his work.

"We'll bring the pens back," Doug told him as Ben pulled a palace debit card out of his pocket and slid it into a card reader. A few beeps later, the clerk leaned forward and pointed to an upper floor.

"Room 216 is open right now. Judge West will see you," He informed them. "Congratulations, by the way."

"Thank you," Ben beamed. He turned and handed a form to Mal as he tucked the palace card back into his pocket. Mal took a pen from him and began examining the form with excitement. Full name… Lady Maleficent Bertha. Age twenty-four. Gender, Female. Birthdate… social security number… place of residence… previous marriage information and contact information.

They took the elevator to the second floor and skirted around to room 216. Ben and Mal, who were both very used to completing paperwork on the fly, carefully stacked the forms on top of each other and put their pens behind their ears. Adam knocked on the door to Judge West's office and slipped his hat off. Ben and Mal removed their sunglasses but didn't dare take off their hats yet. A janitor pushed a yellow cart past them and gave them a bright smile, which they cautiously returned. He didn't seem to recognize them.

"Enter," A cool voice behind the door commanded. Adam twisted the knob and the party passed in front of him, quickly and quietly. Inside were several large chairs and a large wooden desk. A medium-heighted man with broad shoulders stood up with a smile. "Judge West," He introduced himself.

Adam stepped forward, followed by Doug and Carlos, to shake the Judge's hand. "Adam," Adam introduced himself carefully. Judge West raised an eyebrow and waited for the last name, but when nothing happened, he moved onward.

"Doug Gibson," Doug smiled.

"Ah, uh, Carlos," Carlos stammered. He glanced over at Mal and Ben and shrugged sheepishly.

Ben stepped forward. He handed the completed forms to Judge West and shook his hand with the other. "I'm Ben," He introduced himself, exactly the way he had to Mal and her friends when they'd first come to Auradon. "Nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you as well," The Judge nodded with a smile. He set the forms down and reached around Ben to shake Mal's hand. She shook it and hesitated on what to tell him. "And this lovely lady is?" Judge West asked.

Mal smiled. "The future Mrs. Ben?" She chuckled softly and swallowed. The gig was up. "I'm Mal."

"Mal," Judge West repeated slowly. He withdrew his hand, looked down at the papers, and shuffled them around before looking up. "Mal? As in, Lady Maleficent? Is this for real?"

Mal slipped her hat off and her long purple hair cascaded down her back. She chuckled nervously as Judge West looked down at the papers, sat down, and pointed at Ben. "King Benjamin," He murmured and shifted his attention to Adam. "Former King Adam and-" he moved to Carlos. "Carlos De Vil."

"Surprise?" Ben chuckled. He took off his baseball cap and fixed his hair.

Judge West blinked a few times and swallowed. "Well, I'm privileged," He murmured. "How am I serving you fine people today?"

"We're here to get a marriage license," Ben explained. "That's our paperwork there."

Judge West exhaled, looking a bit overwhelmed, and cleared his throat. "Well, congratulations. I need to see a photo ID from both of you, along with proof of citizenship and proof of age."

Ben and Mal both reached for where they had their papers hidden and brought them out. They smoothed them out and placed them on the desk. Then, Ben fished in his wallet for his photo ID while Mal pulled one out of her pocket.

"Do either of you have a Driver's License?" Judge West asked. Ben immediately withdrew his while Mal heaved a heavy sigh and shook her head.

"Okay, I have a few questions I'm required by law to ask you, and then I'll print your License and you're free to get married whenever you want within the next year," Judge West explained. "Any questions?"

"Do we ever have to renew the license?" Mal asked with a frown.

"No," Ben and Judge West answered at the same time. "The license expires after a year if you don't get married. After the ceremony, let us know and we'll put it on record. Ta-da." Judge West explained with a smile.

"Cool," Mal nodded. "Well, ask away."

"Are either of you married to someone else?" Judge West asked, gathering up the forms and scanning them into the computer.

Carlos snorted as Adam rolled his eyes. "No," Ben shook his head. Mal shook her head alongside him.

"Are you third-cousins or closer-related relatives?" Jude West continued, clicking a few things on his computer.

"No," Mal and Ben shook their heads.

"Do both of you offer consent of this union and agree to the terms therein?" Judge West asked. He glanced over at them. "I can recite terms if you need, but I have a feeling you're both relatively well-versed in legislatures."

"Yes," Ben and Mal answered simultaneously. She put her hand on his shoulder, and they smiled at each other. Judge Danforth chuckled, and the sound of a printer behind the desk started up. He whipped out a piece of thick cardstock and plopped it down on the desk in front of them. Mal let out an exhilarated breath.

"I, Judge Charlie West, do hereby declare this marriage to be lawful and uphold this couple's decision to be married," Judge West recited. His eyes rested on Mal as her smile grew wider and wider. Ben could barely keep his eyes off of her to pay attention to the Judge. "You need a witness to sign with you."

"Not an officiator?" Ben asked, pulling the pen out from behind his ear. Mal mirrored him.

"No," Judge West shook his head. "You do need an officiator and at least two witnesses for the ceremony though."

"Cool," Ben mumbled, leaning down and dragging the pen on the line labeled 'Groom' to forge his most kingly signature. Then he turned, and Mal stepped forward. He dropped an arm around her shoulder as she uncapped her pen and together they stared down at the paper in excitement. Mal could scarcely breathe as she took it all in. 'Marriage License', the paper proudly read. The official Auradon crest, the same one she saw Ben stamp on everything he did, graced the bottom of the paper. It had never seemed so glorious.

She leaned down and held her breath as she carefully signed her name across the bottom of the page. "Mal B." She drew. Then she straightened up and let out her breath.

Judge West chuckled as Adam carefully pulled the paper towards him and signed on the witness line. He looked at Mal, and then at Ben. "It's always fun to watch the bride's face light up," He confided. "This, and signing adoption papers are the happiest parts of my job."

Ben pulled her close under his arm and pressed his cheek to her head. "Happiest part of my job is getting off," He laughed. "Unless there's a meeting we're both involved in. Then I get to hold her hand under the table and it's not so bad."

Judge West laughed as he turned the paper towards him and signed the final line in thick, black strokes. "You'll need to sign on the back after the ceremony," He told them. He picked it up and waved it back and forth for a few seconds to dry the ink. "Well, I have something that I personally would like to say before I hand this to you," He announced, standing up and walking around his desk. "You see, I'm here eight to six every weekday. I have people in my office every hour of every day. I don't get ten minutes to myself during that time. I deal with divorces, marriages, lawsuits, adoptions, the works. And I've been here long enough I've seen some people who I issued marriage licenses come back through for divorces."

A still silence filled the room, and Judge West cracked a smile. "I've learned, on sight, the type of marriages that last versus those that fizzle out when spouses get tired of each other. I know the types of dynamics you need to have in order to have a successful marriage. And I can tell you, based on sight alone, that you two are going to have a long and happy life together." He extended the license certificate towards them with a smile.

"Do you tell everyone that?" Mal asked with a smile, reaching out to take her marriage certificate.

Judge West held her gaze for a second. "No," He shook his head, a coy smile balancing on his lips. He shook her hand. "Have a lovely night, you wonderful people." He made a broad gesture to the door.

"Oh, ah!" Ben held a hand aloft to make a quick request. "Out of curiosity, could you _not _tell anyone that we were here? Or, post about it, or-"

"I've got it," Judge West nodded. He moved to the door and opened it with a flourish. People were passing by the office outside. Mal panicked and quickly started twisting her hair up to cover it with her hat. Ben helped her tuck in the sparse purple strands before he pulled on his baseball cap and put his sunglasses on.

They thanked Judge West and shook his hand as they passed by him, out of the office. He saw them down to the front doors and out of the building. The moment the doors closed, Mal balled up her fists and let out a whoop of triumph. Ben laughed as she skipped down the stairs and towards the waiting car with her brand-new license clutched in her hand. She flung open the door and leaned in, proudly displaying the document. "We did it!" She screamed. The car erupted into cheers. Mal laughed as she pulled off her hat.

Adam handed his hat to Ben and climbed in with Carlos and Doug while Ben and Mal walked to the back of the car and popped the trunk open to stow their disguises. "Happy now?" Ben laughed as he slammed the trunk closed and put his arm around her to start guiding her to the car.

"Very!" Mal laughed, kissing his cheek. "Are you ready for this?" She asked him.

"More than ready. Are you ready to become Mrs. Benjamin Florian?" They paused outside the open door to face each other with bright smiles.

"Of course," Mal whispered. "I feel like I've been waiting for this moment my entire life." Ben smiled and took a step closer to her. She stumbled and fell against the car. One of his hands snaked into her hair and the other to her waist as he fell upon her, pressing his mouth to hers and sending electrifying currents up her spine. Her brain felt like a lightbulb about to burn out – flickering and fading in and out as her hands tried to find a place in his hair.

"Hey, there'll be plenty of time for that later!" Jay called from inside the car. "Come on, let's go!"

Ben broke off of her with a laugh and helped her right herself. She was still seeing stars as the magic of a True Love's Kiss cleared her brain, and almost stumbled over the threshold of the car as Ben helped her in.

"Now," She announced with a wide, breathless grin. "The party can begin."

The car pulled out once more with loud cheers echoing from within.

* * *

They rendezvoused at a quiet pub in DunBroch, in a back room where the sounds of the public party outside were loud enough for them to feel like they were normal young adults going out to celebrate while also keeping them well-hidden from any nosy photographers or journalists.

The entire building was made of polished wood with sculptures of the story of the current queen hanging here and there. Wood carvings were of particular importance to DunBroch. The door to their rented room was propped open for sake of heat, but one by one they all began to show signs of overheating. Ben rolled up his sleeves, Mal tied up her hair, Carlos and Jay pulled off their vests and everyone kicked off their shoes in a heap by the entrance. And slowly, everyone's drinks changed to 'on the rocks' alcohols, with the exception of Evie and the two seniors, who sipped water together and watched the others participate in drinking games that changed every five minutes while they regaled each other with stories of Ben and Mal's youths.

"Never have I ever felt threatened by my parent's status," Lonnie announced, trying to flick a penny into one of the filled shot glasses that stood balanced in a little tower in the center of the table. As a simultaneous groan rose around the room, Lonnie pumped her hands into the air with a cheer and handed the glass she'd won from the middle of the table to Mal, who fished the penny out knocked it back like it was water and set the empty glass with a set of others.

"That's a low blow, Lon," Jay groaned, lounging out across a bench that spread against the back wall. Carlos hit his legs to signify he wanted Jay to move and sat down, draping an arm across Jane's back.

"Hey, I know how to win," Lonnie laughed, picking up a glass and examining it tersely. She decided it was water instead of one of the numerous types of alcohol they were playing with and took a drink.

"Just say: Never have I ever worn the color pink," Evie called from her spot of the wall.

"That's true!" Jay pumped a fist. "Never have I ever worn the color pink." More groans came from around the table and Jane dropped her head onto the wall beside Carlos. "I'm done," She announced. "I won't make it to the wedding if you guys keep calling me out."

Ben reached over and poked Mal's arm to get her attention. "You good?" He asked.

Her eyes were bright as she nodded. "Never better," She promised. She handed him a glass and he used it to hide a smile as he, too, knocked it back. She didn't even show the faintest signs of being tipsy, despite the fact they'd been playing for almost an hour.

"Jay!" Evie called. "Why didn't Harry Hook like you?"

"He couldn't keep up with my dashing looks," Jay informed her, sweeping a hand through his long hair and giving her a wink.

"He lost in a swordfight and never got over it," Mal rolled her eyes. "Why are we talking about Harry?"

"You two had a fling back when you were preteens, didn't you?" Evie asked.

The room erupted into boos as Mal scrunched her brow in thought. "Jeesh, maybe? He's gay, though. He and Gil… I mean, they're probably not doing the dirty, but then again they probably are."

"Yeah, I saw them kiss once," Evie nodded in agreement.

Carlos immediately let out a snort. "Only once?" He asked. "I swear, every time the pirates celebrated anything, you'd see Hook and Gaston's kids, making out in the corner."

Mal waved her hand. "It's fine!" She called and then smiled at Ben. "He can do his thing and I'll do mine."

Everyone laughed. Mal picked up a glass of amber brandy and toasted it slyly to Ben before she took a small sip. He grabbed her hand and pulled her forward with a tug that had her sloshing beer all down her side and onto him a little bit. She tried to hold it aloft as Ben pulled her forward and pressed their mouths together. The room was screaming. His hand found a place at the back of her neck where he pushed their heads even closer together and her toes curled up as she tried to find a way to balance on the edge of the bench, so she didn't pull him and her toppling onto the floor. Her hand balled up his shirt as Ben's mouth opened against hers, sending even more jumbled signals to her confused brain. Their noses knocked together as he laughed against her mouth.

He went deeper, pulling her in and holding her tightly to him at an angle she knew would bruise her lips as he chewed lightly on her lower lip and let his tongue skim her mouth. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she tried to keep up with his needy pace.

When they stopped, she felt drunk. Physically, energetically drunk. She laughed, sounding more like her mom as she tried and failed to stand up and ended up staying collapsed across Ben's lap with her eyes rolling into the back of her head as the lights screamed at her brain. She could tell from Ben's shaking hands alone that he was feeling the burn of magic too.

"You drunk already, Mal?" Jay laughed. "We've still got all night. It's only eight!"

Mal waved her hand half-heartedly at Jay. "M'Fine!" She groaned.

"Ugh," Ben sighed, still swaying as his brain tried to remember which direction was up. He carefully helped her off of his legs and tucked her underneath his arm. "We should not have done that." He announced, reaching shakily for a glass of water.

"I can't see anything," Mal complained, trying to lift a hand to rub her face.

"One more?" Ben asked, turning towards her.

Mal leaned up and they shared another kiss. She immediately broke away with a groan. "I'm going to throw up," She declared.

Jane fixed her with a weird look as she stood up beside Carlos and walked to sit with Evie, Belle, and Adam instead. "From kissing?" She asked in an odd tone.

Mal mumbled in agreement and slumped into Ben's side, squeezing her eyes closed as a giddy smile froze on her face.

"It's True Love's Kiss," Evie explained. "It's a little too powerful to be used so continuously. That's why they almost never kiss."

"Ouch," Jay laughed, standing up and prodding Mal's cheek with his finger. Mal batted his hand away, scrunching her face up, and Ben moved to protect her from Jay as Jay laughed. "You guys look wasted."

"I thought True Love's Kiss was just a description, not a condition," Lonnie furrowed her brow as she pushed a few glasses of water towards the two of them sympathetically.

"Both, sort of," Evie shrugged. "But there's a difference between _having_ true love and _being_ someone's true love. I bet all of us in here could cure our spouses if we wanted and if the situation called, but we can kiss each other normally without getting drunk off the euphoria."

"Are they actually drunk off each other, or is it just the spells on the drinks being negated?" Carlos asked.

"The magic shouldn't interfere with anything Mal spelled. And they're like this anyways. It's kind of funny to watch how wasted they can get each other."

Ben slowly began to straighten up. He took a water glass and took small sips and color returned to his cheeks. "It's wicked awesome though," He informed the room with a dry throat. "And it heals, like, everything."

"Everything?" Lonnie asked. "That sounds awesome. So, if Mal wakes up with a cold-"

"Usually, that's Ben," Mal interjected. "He works harder than me. But yeah, True Love's Kiss heals the common cold."

"And anything else gets us black-out drunk," Ben laughed, standing up with a wobble and reaching for a shot glass. "Never have I ever not gotten a buzz from kissing." He rolled his eyes.

Mal leaned forward and punched his arm. "Audrey," She reminded him. Across the room, Belle and Adam let out twin sounds of exasperation. Ben sighed and knocked his glass back.

Mal stood up and put a hand on his shoulder for a few seconds before announcing: "Never have I ever kissed anyone besides my true love."

The room erupted into immediate groans. "Not all of us are as prudish as you are, Mal," Jay protested. He and Lonnie shared an eye-roll, and then a kiss before they knocked back two identical shots.

"How are you all not black-out drunk already?" Adam laughed. "I couldn't even hold that much alcohol and keep a steady conversation when I was the Beast."

"Magic," Mal laughed. "I spelled the drinks. Hope you don't mind." She laughed, and then punched Jay in the arm. "That's for calling me a prude." She stuck her tongue out at him.

"Yeah, I wouldn't call Mal a prude," Carlos rolled his eyes, twisting a shot glass in his palm and holding the empty glass up to the light. "She was just squeamish about kissing those first few months."

"A prude," Jay deadpanned. "The word you're looking for is a prude."

Ben shook his head. "Listen, she's my fiancée and she and I have had all too many conversations regarding the ways of life, and I can tell you that Mal is anything but a prude. In fact, chances are if I wasn't a king and refusing to bed her until I'd wed her, you all could call her a harlot."

"Ouch!" Mal frowned. "Although, you're probably closer to the truth than Jay is." She leaned up, kissing Ben's neck when he wouldn't bend down.

"You almost just passed out and you want more?" He asked, setting a hand on her hip and handing her a glass. "Never have I ever dyed my hair."

Mal dumped the glass on his sleeve without comment. Ben jumped back with a yelp. His sleeve and the right part of his shirt were soaked and stained with amber liquid. "Hey!" He objected. He seized her arm before she could duck away and dumped a second glass on her shoulder as she shrieked and laughed.

"Her hair!" Evie sputtered, jumping to her feet and running to free Mal from Ben's grasp.

"Yeah Ben, my hair!" Mal laughed as Evie batted Ben's hands off of her best friend and picked up a clump of soaked hair with a sigh.

"Yeah, her hair; I didn't finish." Ben stuck out his tongue and raised a third glass threateningly.

"Don't you dare," Evie hissed. Doug rolled his eyes and picked up a glass of his own. He'd been avoiding the conversation for the most part but taking part in the drinking games when his friends weren't too distracted to play.

"E, it's fine," Mal snickered as she started to calm down. "We can just braid it back or something. It doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" Evie whined. "Look, your shirt is all soaked through too!"

"So's mine," Ben shrugged. "It doesn't matter. She still looks amazing!"

"You think that anyway," Evie protested, glaring at him over her shoulder.

Ben picked up a shot glass and took a sip before he moved Evie out of the way carefully. "Watch this," He told her. He pulled Mal towards him and pressed his lips back on hers. Immediately, her eyes rolled back into her head and his knees began to shake. They broke apart before Ben fell into a spare chair and Mal grabbed onto the table for support. "See, Evie?" Ben laughed. "That's all it is. We could have the ceremony right here, while we're all like this."

"Don't sound like such a bad idea to me," Mal slurred. She pressed her hands to her head. "Ugh. I'm going to be so hungover tomorrow."

"You have a meeting at two-thirty," Ben reminded her with a smile. "And I have one at one."

"Cancel them," Mal groaned. She stood back up. "Geesh, some queen I am. The first day and I'm already suggesting we blow off everything."

"Good thing you have Ben, otherwise the kingdom would fall apart," Carlos nodded. "You're just going to have to be the obedience threat. 'Listen to my husband or I'll rain fire down on you.'"

"Casually transform into a dragon every time someone is trying to blame him for something," Lonnie laughed.

Mal shook her head. "Oh, there'd be a revolt," She rolled her eyes. "Already I cause more than my fair share of paperwork."

"Not really," Ben disagreed. "Now, if the country knew I'm actually getting married now, a week after I asked Mal, and not in a few months like they're all guessing, that'd be paperwork." He rolled his eyes and stood up. "It's almost nine now," He announced, kissing the crown of Mal's head. "When do you want to do this?"

Mal smiled and slipped her arm around his waist. "Now," She smiled. "Let's do it right now."

"Okay," Adam stood up. "Where do you want this?"

"What?" Evie sputtered, looking like she'd swallowed a plum as she began to turn thirty different colors. "No!" She protested. "No. First, all these empty glasses have to go. And Mal doesn't have any makeup on – I need at least thirty minutes. And for heavens sakes, you can't wear that. I want both of you out of those soaking wet clothes before we do anything else!"

"I agree with Evie," Mal hummed, staring at Ben with a frozen smile etched on her face. "I want you out of those clothes before we do anything else too."

Evie dissolved into groans as Ben laughed. "Okay, Evie," He sighed. "What do you have for us?"

"Doug," Evie spun on her heel. "Can you run out and get those garment bags from the car for us?"

Doug got to his feet and saluted his friends sarcastically.

"Help me gather up all of this mess," Evie told Carlos, Jane, Jay, and Lonnie. She began to stack empty shot cups by the tens up on the table. Jay dropped to the ground and began to search underneath the chairs for glasses that had been set down or kicked out of sight.

Evie picked at Mal's hair and frowned. "Kneel," She commanded, pressing Mal's shoulders. Mal knelt and Evie gathered her hair up and began to braid the wet strands back. Doug came rushing back in with the black bags and handed Ben the thinner, smaller one before Evie could command him to do so.

Ben patted Doug's shoulder. "Thanks, Doug," He smiled before he slipped out the entrance to the room.

"I grabbed your makeup too, Evie," Doug told his wife, setting the garment bag and Evie's plastic makeup bag on the now-clear table. Jay and Lonnie were rearranging the remaining filled shots and stealing a few as they went. He kissed Evie's cheek and went to aid Carlos and Jane in carrying all of the glasses out of the room.

Evie worked fast, pulling all of Mal's hair up behind her ears and into a beautiful up-do. She used bobby pins to give the impression that Mal's hair had been curled and then twisted her head back and forth to check every angle.

"Wow," Someone said from the door. Everyone looked up. The bartender had come back to check on everyone upon seeing the glasses everyone had carried out. He glanced back and forth, apparently surprised no one was passed out. His eyes landed on Mal and his mouth dropped open. "You-you!" He sputtered in shock. Jay had been the one to check them in and purchase the room, so he'd had no idea he was currently housing royals.

"Yeah, isn't she lovely?" Ben proclaimed, appearing in the doorway. Mal's breath caught in her throat. He'd changed into a white suit with a blue tie and blue satin lining on all of the folds. He stood straight over the bartender, who swallowed nervously. "I'd prefer you didn't mention to anyone that we were here," Ben murmured.

The bartender swallowed, looking more than a little shocked, and backed away. Ben looked back over at Mal, who let out an exhilarated breath. "Hi!" She whispered as Evie finished crimping her hair.

"Hey," Ben smiled. He carefully side-stepped Evie to cup a hand against Mal's cheek before Evie helped her to her feet.

"Out, now," Evie told Mal, taking the bag and her makeup and rushing the bride out into the hall. They took a turn down the hall and into the bathroom, and once again Mal was getting dressed in a stall.

Evie removed the dress out of the bag and held it aloft for Mal to examine it. Even though she'd been fully prepared to marry Ben in an alcohol-soaked shirt with no shoes, Mal was blown away yet again by Evie's skills. The creation looked a bit like Mal's cotillion dress. It was short – only extending to her knees in the back, and it had little wing-like shoulders with embellished scalloping on it. Similar decorations were stitched into the bodice. Dozens of layers made the skirt fall elegantly around her legs. The dress was built of black, shimmering material with purple detailing. Mal saw immediately what Evie was trying to do. Flip the Bride/Groom color code. Ben always wore black suits, so Evie put him in white and gave Mal the dark shades. And Ben was the Auradon kid and Mal was the Isle girl, so in a way, Evie was paying tribute to their roots.

She stepped into the dress in a stall and Evie zipped her up. She carefully applied makeup to Mal's eyes, working fast but keeping it neat. Still, the clock was ticking even closer and closer to ten and Mal was growing more and more excited.

"Aren't you nervous?" Evie asked as she drew a thin line on Mal's upper eyelid. "I almost fainted when I married Doug."

"And you cried," Mal recalled. "No, I'm not nervous. I honestly feel like… this is something I've waited my entire life for."

Evie blew on Mal's eyelid so that the liquid eyeliner would harden. "Well, you've got lots to look forward to. A whole lifetime." She carefully began to work on Mal's lashes. "And really, maybe it's selfish of me to say this, but I hope you and Ben have kids soon. I want my baby to grow up next to yours." Mal's smile faded a little bit and she swallowed. Evie brushed her hair with her fingertips. "You know it's inevitable, right? Especially after tonight."

"I know," Mal murmured. "And that's okay. I'm okay. I mean, sure, it's still a bit scary, but in the end, I'll be okay."

Evie hummed and patted Mal's shoulders. "You're done," She whispered. She took a step back and wrapped her arms around her belly. Mal watched her and then took a look at herself in the mirror. Through the sparse water dots, she smiled at her reflection. The eyeliner made her eyes appear larger, and her smile made the gold flecks Ben had noticed once, long ago and under a spell, stand out even more. She moved her head to see the earrings Evie had slipped through her lobes and smiled a bit at her reflection.

"You look lovely," Evie whispered.

"I do," Mal agreed. "And especially considering I had a whiskey or something, dumped on me a half-hour ago."

"Forty-five minutes, actually," Evie smiled. She let go of her stomach long enough to step forward, slip her arms around Mal's shoulders, and squeeze her arms. Mal examined her reflection. Part of her couldn't believe this was it. This may very well be the pinnacle moment of her life. She turned her head to the side and examined Evie as her face fell solemn.

"Does it hurt?" She asked, drumming her fingers on the sink. Her fingers felt like they were filled with loose energy.

"Does what hurt?" Evie asked with a furrowed brow, turning to look at Mal with a raised eyebrow before they continued staring at her reflection.

"Well, you know-" Mal wrung her hands and continued staring at her reflection expressionlessly.

A light lit up behind Evie's eyes. "Oh," She chuckled. "That." She hummed and traced a little pattern on Mal's back. "Not much, and only at the very beginning. Kay?"

"Kay," Mal whispered. She turned and took Evie's hand. "Thank you. I wouldn't be here without you."

Evie smiled. "Well, I wouldn't miss this for the world," She squeezed Mal's hand and then turned back to the garment bag. She pulled out a pair of black boots with sequins on the heels and dragons curling around the heels. Mal let out a laugh as Evie set them on the ground and then withdrew a small bouquet of white calla lilies. "Ready?" Evie asked.

With new shoes and flowers in hand, Mal and Evie trekked back down through the hallway and back to the room, where everything had been cleared out of the way. The chairs had been rearranged in a semi-circle pattern with one row and one tiny walkway and Adam was standing near the back, leaning a bit on the table, and searching for the correct words on his phone. Evie shut the door behind Mal and everyone looked up. Carlos shook his head. "Now there's an Isle Bride," He whispered, winking at Evie, who had gone for Auradon's white wedding.

Evie took her seat closest to the walkway. Doug sat beside her, and one by one Jane, Carlos, Lonnie, and Belle all took their seats. Adam straightened up and then they all glanced to the side of the room. Mal followed their gazes.

Jay and Ben looked like they had just finished up a conversation. They were staring at her with two very different emotions. Ben looked absolutely amazed by her presence and was breathing very, very slowly. Jay's eyes were filling with tears as he beamed happily at her. Jay moved towards her and wrapped his arms around her. She buried her nose in the tank top he'd had on under his vest and found it smelled like work and sweat.

"Hey," He whispered. "You look amazing. Like a real Auradon Lady."

"Uh oh," Mal breathed. "That wasn't the intention." She wiped away a few sudden tears she found in her eyes. "Thanks, Jay."

Ben stepped forward behind Jay. He put an arm behind his back in preparation to offer the other one to her. Jay let go of Mal as he wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. He took her right hand and then reached for Ben's left. Then, carefully, Jay placed Mal's hand in Ben's and withdrew his own. Mal could scarcely breathe as Jay clapped Ben on the shoulder.

"Take care of her, bro," Jay told him firmly. Mal laughed and squeezed Ben's hand.

"Thank you, Jay," Ben nodded, squeezing back.

Jay nodded and looked up, meeting Mal's eyes. She tried to blink back more tears as she cleared her throat. "Thanks, Jay. For everything." Jay nodded and went to sit down. Ben dropped her hand and offered her his arm instead. She slipped her arm up against his elbow and they looked at each other for a few seconds. Mal felt more tears rising up in her eyes.

Ben dropped the hand he'd put around his back and wiped a few tears out of her eyes. "You look flawless," He whispered.

Mal smiled. "So do you," She breathed.

"Are you ready to do this with me?" Ben asked.

Mal nodded. "Always," She confirmed.

They took two tentative steps together through the brightly-lit room and then stepped past the row of their friends and stopped beside Adam. Ben let Mal's arm go and Mal handed her flowers to Evie before she and Ben took each other's hands and looked towards Adam.

Carlos leaned forward in his chair and held out two glinting bands. "Rings," He whispered. Ben quickly released Mal's hands and took the bands from him. He slipped the smaller, thinner one onto Mal's finger, right on top of her engagement band. She took a moment to examine it. It was thin, with a traditional centerpiece diamond and lots of smaller stones set in a perfect line around the circumference of the band. She smiled and looked up to meet his eyes. His face was framed by one of the bright ceiling lights. Ben turned her hand around and dropped his ring into her hand.

Mal took his left hand and singled out his ring finger. She carefully slipped the ring past his nail and knuckles, and then to the base of his finger. He turned it around for her, and she recognized the tell-tale glint of etching. 'Ben Mal', the etching read. And really, that was the thing that did her in. Mal teared up. There was a ring on Ben's finger. A ring with her name on it. Ben was wearing a wedding band with her name forever engraved beside his, and that thought made her want to absolutely sob.

They turned towards Adam, who cleared his throat and squinted at his screen. His large reading glasses made him look like some sort of square-faced professor. He looked down at their joined hands and then straightened his back. "You both look amazing," He started. "I honestly didn't think I'd ever be here. With the other girls Ben dated, I was sure I'd be standing on the sidelines at a big, white ceremony, watching the bride trip a million times on her dress and I was sure I'd be wondering if she was there because she loved my son, or because she loved my son's title. And I'm glad I don't feel like that now. You, Mal, are the miracle Belle and I prayed for for our son, and neither of us would have this event any other way."

Adam looked down at his phone and began: "Dearly beloved, we gather here today to celebrate the union of Ben and Mal, as they choose to be called. This contract is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously, with a deep realization of its responsibilities and obligations." Adam swallowed and turned his phone off. "Ben," He began. "Do you agree to take Mal as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and take care of her as best you are able to for the rest of your life?"

Ben smiled as he ran his thumbs over Mal's knuckles. "I do," He agreed, calm and clear as Mal sniffled.

Adam turned to her, a repeated the question, but Mal couldn't hear his exact words. She was focusing on how warm and how right her hands felt in Ben's. Her throat tightened with emotion and so, so many words she didn't know how to speak. It was all she could do to rehearse: "I do," when she heard Adam stop talking.

"As an officer of the law, I decree this union to be legal and lawful. From this moment forth, you twain shall be husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Ben dropped her hands like they were hot coals and took her face. She rose up on her tip-toes and pressed her lips to his.

It was by far, the most magical moment of her life. Every nerve was on fire, every cell was singing. There were tears – not just hers, but his too, and then suddenly their friends were slapping them on their backs, enveloping them in a giant hug as they all screamed and cheered. They stopped kissing when they both started swaying and became in gross danger of dropping to the ground, and then they just squeezed each other's hands as Jay and Lonnie handed out the last shot glasses to everyone except Evie. Even Belle and Adam took a glass each before Carlos managed to untangle one hand each from Ben and Mal to force a glass each into their palms.

"To the future!" Jay proclaimed, jumping up on top of the bench he'd been lounging on earlier.

"To Ben and Mal!" Belle corrected with a shake of her head.

Everyone raised their glasses over their heads in toast, and no one besides Ben heard Mal's breathy gasp of: "To Happily Ever After," Before they downed their shots. Ben swept Mal of her feet and kissed her again. He almost collapsed as their worlds spun in colorful, enjoyable patterns.

"This is the beginning," Ben whispered against her cheek as he set her back on her feet.

"I can't wait to see what the ending looks like," Mal laughed, and pulled his head down to kiss him again, and again, and again.

* * *

They left DunBroch at 1:45 in the morning. Belle and Adam fell asleep in the car, leaning into a corner with their heads lolling every time they went around a new corner. Jane and Carlos spread out on an entire bench and fell asleep with Carlos's arms curling around Jane's shoulders. Doug splayed his arms out over the headrest of a bench and Evie curled into his chest to fall asleep against his side. Jay and Lonnie spread out on the floor, bodies pressed close to each other and fingers wrapped around each others.

Ben leaned into the corner opposite his parents and Mal leaned against him, into his side. Smiles were frozen on both of their faces as Mal played with the tie on his suit.

"Mrs. Mal Bertha," Ben whispered in the dark of the car to her. "Or even Mrs. Benjamin Florian, if you want to really be able to tell the difference."

"I like the sound of both," Mal murmured. She kissed his jaw and pulled the tie out from around his neck. Her mouth still tasted like alcohol. She was smiling as he rested his hand on her hip.

"I'm glad you decided to do it this way," Ben whispered. "It's exhilarating. I don't think we've done anything like this since we graduated."

"We had Evie and Carlos's weddings," Mal recalled, sliding her hands along his frame on top of the white suit. "You got a little drunk with the guys there."

"A little," Ben nodded. "I haven't gotten wasted since you graduated though. It feels great."

"It does now, but just wait till we get up tomorrow," Mal yawned.

Ben made a grumble in the back of his throat. "Do you have a spell or something that can fix a hangover?" He asked. Mal laughed and leaned up to kiss him. Ben let out a sound of contentment against her mouth.

"I don't know about a spell, but True Love's Kiss might come in handy," Mal shrugged. She tried to kiss him again, but he moved, and she got his cheek instead.

"Slow down, darling," He whispered. "We won't be able to stand up if you keep going." Mal sighed and he craned his neck down to bite and kiss at her neck, which was safe territory that didn't make their heads spin.

"How much longer?" Mal whispered against his hairline. His hand moved from her hip to cup at the back of her neck as he continued biting at her neck, turning the skin pretty shades of pink and red.

"Soon," He whispered in between breaths. "Be patient."

Mal threaded her fingers through his hair and hummed as Ben moved further down, to her shoulder, so she could lean her head against the seat beside him. She watched fuzzy lights stream by through the tinted windows and listened to the thrum of the engine, though she didn't feel at all like going to sleep yet.

After about twenty minutes of nothing – no conversation, no looks, only Ben's mouth on her skin, Mal felt the car begin to slow down. Ben stopped and straightened up in the seat. Almost as if he'd announced something, their friends began to roll over, stretch, and yawn. Jane rolled off the seat an on top of Lonnie with a yelp, and the two girls laughed as the car stopped and the Driver's door opened and closed. As Carlos helped Jane off of Lonnie's legs with a laugh, Ben's hand settled back on her hip. The door to the stretch car opened and their driver appeared.

"Evie and Doug?" He asked through the darkness. Mal glimpsed the outline of Evie and Doug's townhouse outside as the driver squinted past them. She listened to Evie waking Doug up across the car and climbed off of Ben long enough to give her friend a hug as Evie stepped over a still-out Jay.

"Thanks, E. You're the best," She whispered, squeezing Evie tightly.

"I know," Evie yawned. She patted Mal's back. "Be good. I'll talk to you later. You look at your schedule and tell me when I need to have your white wedding dress to you."

"I will," Mal promised as Doug helped Evie out of the car. "Love you, E."

"Love you too, Mal," Evie sighed. The door shut behind them and Mal watched her best friend and her husband's fuzzy figures approach their front door.

They dropped off Jay and Lonnie at their apartment and then Carlos and Jane at Auradon Prep before they set on their way to the palace. Adam and Belle had to be helped out and up to their rooms by palace workers while Ben and Mal linked hands and took the elevator up to Ben's room, which was now theirs by default since he was already in the master suite.

As Ben unlocked his door(His was required to be locked by law after eight at night), a female servant came around the corner with a pile of sheets. Her eyes settled on Mal as Ben fumbled with a key and she gave an uneasy, knowing sort of smile as she passed by. Ben opened the door and held it ajar for her. She slipped inside and watched him step inside, close the door, and turn the lock back in place. He turned around and began unbuttoning the coat of his suit as Mal reached up and began taking pins out of her now-messy hair.

"You nervous?" He asked, setting the suit coat on the back of a chair and stepping behind her to tug her zipper down.

"Windows," Mal reminded him as the sleeves slipped off her shoulders. He leaned down to bite the sensitive skin he'd attacked earlier and then moved to yank the curtains closed. The master bedroom was one of the higher spires in the palace and completely closed off to the outside world, but it was more a matter of principle. "And no. I'm not."

He returned to her and she immediately began unbuttoning his shirt, running her fingertips over the skin of his chest. She pushed his shirt aside and leaned forward, into his grasp, and pressed her ear against his chest. Ben set his hands on her shoulders and started to slide her dress off of her, but she stopped him by running her hand down his shoulder. He carefully set his hands on her hips instead.

"This is where I belong," Mal whispered, trailing her fingertips down his pectorals. She closed her eyes and listened to the steady thrum of his heart beside her head. "I feel like I'm finally coming home."

Ben hummed and leaned down, kissing that spot on her neck that was quickly becoming a favorite spot for him. "You are home," He whispered. His hand traveled up her sides. "Are you ready now?" He asked.

Mal closed her eyes and listened to his heart beating against her cheek. She let out a steady breath. "Always," She whispered, and together their hands started to move again.


	4. Chapter 4

The room felt like a battlefront. Preset sixty-degree climate with crisp fall weather drifting in through the window and a large mahogany Armageddon stage prepped with sixteen chairs and fifteen pairs of eyes on her.

Mal set her things down at the head of the table, where the conductor of the meeting was supposed to sit and picked up a purple pen from behind her ear. "Good afternoon," She greeted the people in the room. Glancing around, she could easily recognize representatives from Arendelle, DunBroch, Ariel's seaside, and Motuni, which made sense because this was supposed to be a meeting regarding climate control in Auradon.

"Good Afternoon, Lady Mal," The room chorused back. Mal pulled out her chair and sat down. She opened a manila folder that had appeared in her room earlier with the details of the meeting and carefully glanced over the agenda.

"How is everyone?" Mal murmured, making a quick note on a bullet point and then looking back up. Everyone looked rather stiff and formal. She carefully put her elbows on the table and glanced around, examining each person's face.

"With all due respect, your highness," A red-headed woman in braids from Arendelle began cautiously, "Why are you covering this meeting and not the king?"

Mal swallowed. Her palms felt a little sweaty. "Ben is in a meeting with representatives from Powhatan at the moment," She explained. "They're doing some training with Ka-Okee before her first meeting as a court member next week and asked Ben to come as part of the demonstration." Which, if she recalled, was only a few short hours before the palace would come out with details regarding her 'wedding day'. She bit back a smile at that thought.

"Are you qualified to conduct a royal meeting?" One of Moana's sons asked, glancing around the room nervously.

"No, I just thought I'd try my hand at it." Mal rolled her eyes. She clicked her pen a few times and then exhaled. "Yes, I've been permitted by the palace to oversee this meeting, along with several others leading up to when I'm coronated."

"That's allowed?" One of Eric's nephews muttered with a frown, glancing to his left and right.

Mal chortled. "Well, obviously," She proclaimed, folding her arms across her chest, crossing her legs under the table, and leaning back into her chair. "Are we ready to begin?" She asked.

No one said anything, so Mal flicked her eyes down to the list and began the meeting.

* * *

Mal was absolutely blown away by all the fast-paced changes occurring in her life. She was far, far busier than she'd been, of course, but suddenly Ben had free time and after three weeks they would have everything balanced out so that he could take Sundays off. Ben, take Sundays off. The thought was astounding.

They released details for a coronation ceremony on December 15th on the day Ben had assured Debra that details would be released. Auradon was getting hyped for a royal wedding, not realizing it had already happened and been cleared with the law. Ben advised her to not wear the wedding ring a ton lest the public start investigating, but in private it never left her finger.

Belle finally stepped down from the last of the palace duties she had kept up in the absence of a queen to manage the household, and suddenly Mal was allowed to make any changes she wanted to the palace. She considered turning the room next to Ben's office into an art studio but decided against it based on the time she'd have to dedicate to that project.

And then came the problems.

One of the lesser royals(She wasn't allowed to know who based on privacy laws), filed an investigation claim on her based on fear of corruption. Mal was subjected to a long few hours of private interviews and interrogations before she was deemed safe and everything continued. The same knight people who'd tried to meet with Ben after her engagement to him finally managed to procure a meeting that ended in disaster. They'd been asked to leave his office after about a half-hour of arguing, and then reports had appeared in Auradon that the palace was ordering people with concerns about Mal to stay silent. That escalated, and suddenly it was being said that the King had ordered someone who'd overheard a conversation about the downfall of Auradon between him and his fiancée to stay silent under threat of death.

On Friday, October 16th, Mal had just gotten off of a phone call about the upcoming Halloween holiday where kids were usually allowed to come up onto the ground of the palace for trick-or-treating and to attend a children's fair in the gardens when a soft knock came at the door of her office.

She glanced up and saw Adam standing in the doorway. He smiled at her as she brushed her hair out of her face and got to her feet. "Adam," She smiled. "What's going on?"

"No as much as what you have going on," Adam laughed. "May I sit with you a while?"

"That sounds lovely," Mal nodded. "You can close the door if you want."

Adam closed it and took a seat beside the door. "You've been doing very well with all the publicity and everything that's been going on," He told her. "Are you okay?"

"I am," Mal smiled. She looked down at her hands and moved her finger to see the two rings sparkle together. "I'm not going to run to the Isle again if that's what you're asking."

Adam laughed. "Well, that's good," He suddenly pounded a little hand against his chest and cleared his throat. "Sorry," He huffed. "Has Ben been treating you well then?"

"Of course," Mal laughed. "He's Ben. He doesn't have a bad bone in his body."

Adam laughed with her and winced. Mal's brow crumpled in concern and she got to her feet. "Are you alright?" She asked.

Cold sweat had appeared on Adam's brow. His breath came out in short puffs. "I'm fine, I just feel a bit lightheaded all of the sudden."

"Should I call up some water?" Mal asked.

Adam shook his head and straightened up. 'I'm fine," He assured her. "But perhaps… would you care to take a walk with me?"

Mal hovered over her father-in-law as he got to his feet and reopened the door. She took her cellphone off her desk carefully and slipped it into her jean pocket as she carefully followed him.

They took the elevator down to the ground floor and began to wander out, past the ballroom, to the gardens. Mal opened the door for her father-in-law, who thanked her and took a deep breath. "See now?" He told her. "I just needed a bit of fresh air." He offered her his left arm and began to lead her through the gardens with a contented sigh.

"Just let me know if we need to go back," Mal reminded him as they began to meander around Belle's garden.

"It's almost time to start preparing the gardens for winter," Adam hummed. "You'll want to tell the gardeners that it's time to start clipping things back and preparing snow covers.

"I will," Mal assured him. "Was there anything else you wanted to tell me?"

"I wanted to ask how things are going in your life. Ben's treating you right, you're balancing things well, and I've heard many people talking about how capable you seem in your meetings," Adam told her, patting her arm with a small smile.

"Things are going well," Mal nodded. "I don't particularly like the meetings, and I'm a bit bored or annoyed with all the new things that keep popping up, but at the end f the day Ben and I usually have a few hours where we can just talk, and that's very nice."

"I remember that feeling," Adam nodded. "Belle and I used to talk for hours after getting off work. And hopefully, things will stabilize after your coronation. You'll stop having to juggle and it'll be more just going through the motions." He stumbled over something in the path and Mal quickly moved to support him. "Thank you," He whispered, rubbing his arm where their elbows were linked together with a wince.

"I'm just doing things for Ben at this point," Mal sighed. "Nothing else matters enough."

"I was the same way," Adam nodded. He took a heavy breath. "Ben's very relieved you were willing to step up so soon. It's not easy, balancing the work on one person."

"I remember," Mal nodded. "And he only got busier as the years went by. I'm surprised he was still able to take care of himself with everything that happened."

Adam was still rubbing his arm where Mal's was linked. She wondered if she'd hurt it when he tripped, and she'd caught him. Beads of sweat had reappeared on his forehead. "Are you enjoying life as a married woman?" He asked.

"I am," Mal nodded, eyeing him carefully as his steps began to slow down and he leaned heavily on her. "Adam, are you alright?"

Adam's legs started to shake, but he waved her off still. "It's just a passing sickness. Sign of age. Don't worry about me." He cleared his throat and straightened up.

"I think we need to call someone," Mal disagreed. "You don't look well at all."

"Here's a bench," Adam showed her. "I'll just take a moment to sit down and then all will be right."

Mal helped him sit down on an iron-wrought bench with a deep frown. Adam's breathing stabilized again, and the sweat disappeared. However, a deeper sense of dread was setting into her as she watched Adam continue to rub his arm.

"There was one thing I do need to remind you," Adam huffed. He pressed a hand to his chest and then removed it again as if nothing had happened. "Ben noticed you've signed a couple of papers as 'Lady Mal' instead of just 'Mal'. Your title was technically removed the night you married, and you'll be given the title of queen when you're coronated. So right now, you're either a 'Mrs.', or you don't use a title. That paperwork you've done recently that has 'Lady Mal' on it will need to be revisited."

"I'll start on it when I get back to my office," Mal drawled, carefully examining Adam's slumped posture.

Adam took a deep breath and winced. "Maybe I ought to get back to the castle after all," He sighed, standing up carefully. Mal carefully helped him back up. She watched his hand, rubbing circles into his arm. And it suddenly occurred to her that it was his left arm.

"Wait, Adam, sit back down-" She started to say, but Adam's entire body suddenly went rigid. He straightened up, eyes wide, and stumbled back a few steps. He dropped his arm and clutched at his chest.

"God!" He yelled, crumbling to the ground. "God!" He yelled one more time and then fell silent. Mal dropped to her knees and rolled him onto his back in panic. His eyes were wide, frozen, and unseeing. She leaned down and pressed an ear to his chest. She couldn't hear anything past her own rapid heartbeat. Mal quickly pushed two fingers against the artery in his neck and felt nothing at all. There was no blood pressure and no heartbeat. She fumbled as she pulled her phone out of her pocket and called the Auradon Emergency line. She ripped Adam's shirt open and angled herself beside him. As she waited for someone to pick up, she braced her hands, one palm spread out and the other wrapped around her knuckles and began CPR on the former king of Auradon. She pressed down and winced internally as she heard ribs snap out of place.

Her phone clicked and the line came to life. "119, what's your emergency?" A young man asked on the other end of the phone.

"I need an ambulance to Beast's Castle, residence one in Auradon City," Mal commanded, carefully counting out chest compressions. "Former King Adam has just fallen, and there is no heartbeat."

"Stay on the line," The voice commanded. There was a rustle, and Mal heard him raise the call: "Emergency at the royal palace, page an ambulance there right away." He returned to the line: "Do you know CPR?"

Mal leaned down to listen for a heartbeat and upon finding none, resumed work. "I'm already performing CPR. He's been down for less than a minute."

"Is there anyone else in the area?" The man asked.

"No, we're located in Belle's Gardens, only about five minutes from the ground level West Entrance," Mal rehearsed. She paused again to listen for a heartbeat as the information was relayed to an emergency squad. Her phone buzzed suddenly with an incoming phone call. It was the royal palace guard station. Mal's heart sank. She'd forgotten that her phone calls were tracked. The guards were probably curious about why she was calling Emergency Services.

"Okay, has his heartbeat started back up at all from the CPR?" The emergency responder asked.

"No," Mal shook her head.

"I'm assuming you don't have an AED on hand either?" The responder continued.

"No," Mal grit her teeth. "And I've never used one anyways."

The line went a bit silent. Then: "Is this Lady Mal?" Echoed through the phone.

"For god's sake, does it matter?" Mal yelled. "He's going to die – he's dead already if help doesn't get here fast enough." She stopped compressions to cancel the still-incoming call from the guards, knowing that they'd hack her phone and start listening in on the message. Sure enough, a red bar appeared at the top of her screen, letting her know a listening bug had been activated. She groaned.

"Help is on the way," The responder assured her. "Do you know why he fell?"

"Cardiac Arrest," Mal huffed. "And Palace guards are listening in on my call, so, you know, watch your language?" She let loose a series of swear words and dropped down to listen to Adam's chest. She held her breath and focused. To her relief, a beat had started again, thrumming carefully against her cheek. "I have a heartbeat," She announced to the phone. The responder let out a breath.

"Okay, that's good," The responder assured her, quite needlessly. "Keep a close eye on him. The ambulance is five minutes away."

Mal let out a breath and covered her face. Suddenly, alarms were blaring in the palace and she could hear doors opening and closing. It wasn't the sound of the ambulance – it was the sound of a household emergency. That meant that whatever meeting Ben was in, he was going to be escorted out by armed personnel and back to his room for safekeeping. Her phone buzzed once, twice, and three times. The first notification announced the household emergency and directed that all members of the royal family were to return to the palace. The second informed her that Precise Location Tracking(PLT) had been activated on her phone, meaning she was basically a beacon for the guards to follow. The last informed her that her phone controls had been seized by the guards, meaning her phone was effectively useless aside from calling, texting, and access to her emergency medical details from her lock screen. Mal groaned.

The sirens of the ambulance appeared in the distance as Mal plugged one ear and pressed the other to Adam's chest to focus on his slowly beating heart. Shouts appeared in the distance. Mal saw a boot turn the corner before she squeezed her eyes shut and focused on keeping track of Adam's heartbeat.

"Over here!" Someone bellowed. Mal clenched her eyes shut. The ground shook as an entire battalion of palace soldiers appeared, fully armed and fingers resting on the safety of their guns. They surrounded the entire area and two shoved their guns back into holsters to crouch beside her. "Out of the way, Lady Mal," they commanded.

"No!" Mal snapped at them, waving them aside. "God, are the palace gates open? I want you to make sure the ambulance can get through without a problem."

"We'll take it from here," One of the guards assured her, wrapping an arm around her bicep.

"Hands off!" Mal snarled, snatching her arm away. "You do as I told you. And the rest of you, be quiet." She pressed her ear to Adam's chest. The guards stilled. The heartbeat was still slow, but it was growing steady and stronger with every beat. Color was slowly returning to Adam's face. Mal's phone began to buzz on the ground. The sirens grew louder and louder, and she heard tires screech on the nearest road. One of the guards raised his hand to signal the truck, and Mal forced her anxiety to quell.

Paramedics rushed on the scene and two guards fixed their hands on Mal's shoulders and helped her to her feet. Men and women in white uniforms took her place beside him and began treatment. A stretcher was being carried towards them.

About twenty guards filled the courtyard, which struck Mal as immediately strange. She was only required to have five assigned to her in emergencies, at least until she was queen. Ben had ten, Belle, Adam, and Mal had five. It must be because she had sent up the call.

Men surrounded her, all with guns braced in their arms. One picked up her phone and skimmed the messages. "King Benjamin has been messaging you," He informed Mal. "You will be allowed to see his messages when the situation has been resolved."

"The situation is resolved," Mal gasped as she watched paramedics load Adam on the stretcher and begin to carry him away. "And I'm going with Adam to the hospital. Give me my phone."

"You are not permitted to leave palace grounds during an emergency," The guard informed her flatly. "You will receive your phone when the situation has been resolved."

"Listen to me!" Mal growled in frustration. "It's my cell phone and I'm going with him to the hospital. Let me go." She tried to wrench the guard's hands off of her shoulders, but they grabbed onto her arms to hold her back.

"You are not permitted to leave the palace and you are most certainly not allowed to ride in a car we haven't searched," The guard reminded her. "You are to return to your room now."

"What?" Mal gasped as the guards turned her around and began to march her in the direction of the palace. Eight others surrounded them with weapons at the ready, making ten soldiers. The other ten followed the paramedics with Adam to their hospital car. At least two would ride with him, and the other eight would take up garrison around the hospital and around his room. The head guard with her phone began to march back to the palace by himself.

They took her up to Mal's old room, which was her first real sign that she was in serious trouble. They searched the room, locked the windows, and then shut her up inside with three of her standard guards locked inside with her and two outside, standing guard at the door. All three guards inside had the safety off their guns as they stood at attention, one by the door, one by the largest window, and one by the bathroom entrance.

"This is ridiculous," Mal announced, flopping on the bed she hadn't slept on in almost three weeks and glaring at each of her supervisors. "You guys know that there isn't any threat to the palace, so why are we being detained?"

"There is protocol to be followed, Lady Mal," The guard by the windows informed her coolly. The insignia on his breast pocket identified him as the senior official in the room.

"He had a heart attack," Mal grumbled. "Or Cardiac Arrest, rather. The royal family should be down at the hospital figuring out what went wrong, not locked in their rooms up here."

The guards exchanged icy looks. Mal felt cold creep down her spine. The guard cleared his throat again. "The palace emergency situation has already been resolved. King Ben's meeting was rescheduled, and he and Queen Belle were escorted down to Auradon Hospital by armed guards to await King Adam's diagnosis." He lowered his gun a fraction to point at Mal. "_You_ were the only witness to the accident, and as such you are suspect to sabotage until we receive confirmation of what happened. This isn't emergency protection, Lady Mal. You're under arrest."

"What?" Mal sputtered. "I called Emergency Services and revived him!"

"So, you say," The guard shrugged. "He was already breathing when we arrived on the scene. We have no confirmation as to whether you revived him or not."

"His shirt was torn open and there were already bruises from where I'd broken his ribs, performing CPR." Mal stared at the guard in shock. He tossed his head in amusement as if she were a small child who'd just said a particularly funny thing.

"I wouldn't say it like that, if I were you," He advised her and raised his gun back up to position before he fell silent. Mal laid back on her bed in shock as the room remained still except for the three pairs of eyes shifting around the room, examining everything for danger and making sure, not that she was safe, but that the royal family was safe from her.

* * *

An hour later, the general of all the palace services came down to see her. They escorted her using her own squadron down to a palace hearing room that was filled with twenty more guards, Belle, Lumiere, and Ben. Poor Belle looked like she'd been through a ringer. Her hands were shaking as Lumiere patted her back comfortingly. Ben was irate as he scribbled through hospital forms. His phone had been removed and searched, and then returned to him. Mal still had no idea where hers was.

When they marched her in, guard's hands on her shoulders and guns held ready, Ben looked up and a fierce expression passed over his face. There were five clicks as all the safety features of the guard's guns were reactivated. Guns were not allowed to be off of safety mode in the king's presence.

"Did you detain her?" Ben asked, putting his pen down with a snap on the wood that echoed around the room and made a few of the guards tense. He stood up, frowning.

"Of course, we detained her," The general rolled his eyes. "You know how these things work, your majesty. Witnesses are always detained."

Ben looked angry enough to curse. He took two steps forward and immediately, nine guards moved to stop him. "Oh my goodness," Ben growled, waved his hand aside to brush them all out of the way. "Let me through." He continued to walk towards Mal until the general held up a hand to stop him. The general was an imposing man, about seven feet high, who had broad shoulders and large limbs. He looked down on Ben like her husband was a child.

"She hasn't been interviewed yet," The general informed him in a gruff tone. "And she's still under investigation."

"Investigation?" Ben repeated, rolling his eyes. "No. Cancel that. I don't know who ordered her investigated, but I'm overruling that. Her official statement will be on file tonight, just like mine and the overseeing guards' will be."

"Sir!" The general sputtered. "Are you not even going to consider that she could have had something to do with your father's accident?"

"Preposterous," Ben declared. "Absolute tosh. Release her now." He directed this at the guards who were holding onto Mal. They withdrew their hands but didn't stop surrounding her.

"Your Majesty," The general hissed through clenched teeth. "I insist we interview her prior to releasing her."

Ben let out a long-suffering sigh. "Mal," He directed his attention to his wife. "Did you have anything to do with Dad falling today?"

Mal's mouth dropped open. She couldn't believe she actually had to answer this. "No!" She exclaimed.

"Great," Ben snapped at his own general and making Mal jump a little as his head turned away from her in a motion so fast she almost missed it. "I believe we're done here."

"You're going to let her off with one measly question?" The general exploded, balling his fists up and actually moving to block Ben's path. "We have protocol to follow!"

"Your protocol can go stuff itself," Ben declared. "You heard her; she didn't have anything to do with it. Mal's not going to _lie_ to me."

Mal pinched her lips together to fight a smile as Ben side-stepped the general, looking pissed, and the general turned around, looking shell-shocked. Ben reached for her hands and squeezed them. "You okay?" He whispered. Mal nodded. His brow furrowed. "Why didn't you tell me they had you under arrest?"

"I, um, don't have my phone. They took it when they noticed you were texting me," Mal explained. Ben turned his stormy gaze back to the general.

"And why would you do that?" Ben asked in a deathly tone.

"Her phone contains transcripts of her call to Emergency Services," The general replied stiffly. "We have orders to search the device."

"Well your new orders are to retrieve the transcript and return her device before the hour is up," Ben decided. "That's coming from the King of Auradon, so all your other orders are null." He guided Mal up to the head of the table and pulled a chair out for her beside his. Then, he pulled a piece of paper out from his stack and put it in front of her. "We need your official statement on this," He sighed.

"Is everyone gone from the meeting?" Mal asked.

Ben grumbled. "Yeah, they added a reschedule on the end of my workday Tuesday. Everyone in there was locked in and then escorted off the property," Ben sighed, shaking his head.

"Is Adam okay?" Mal whispered, picking a pen from where it lay abandoned by Ben's stack and examining the paperwork.

"Cardiac Arrest. They're thinking it's coronary heart disease." Ben rubbed his hands up and down his face and smiled a sarcastic, painful smile. "It's a good thing you were there because he was dead for almost two minutes before you started his heart again."

"Isle skills put to use," Mal sighed half-heartedly. She began filling out the statement, taking care to explain why she'd been the only person on the grounds with the former king at the time of the accident. The general leaned over her shoulder and sneered at her as he skimmed every word she wrote. When she finished, she slid it across the corner of the table to Ben, but the general snatched it out from underneath her hand before she could draw her hand back. A long line of blood appeared on her hand from his nails and Ben pinched his lips together dangerously.

"We can't accept this report," The general announced after several seconds. "The top portion hasn't been filled out correctly." He slammed the paper back down on the table before he looked at Ben and felt strangely silent. Ben picked up Mal's hand, rotated it around to see the length of the cut, and turned his gaze of fiery steel back on the general, who retreated a few steps.

Mal withdrew her hand and glanced at the top of the paper. "I see no problem with it," She announced wearily. "Today is the sixteenth, yes?"

"Your name isn't correct," The general informed her in a careful tone, taking careful glances to where Ben sat, still silently fuming.

Mal blinked and raised an eyebrow at the guard. "You are aware my full name is Maleficent, yes?" She asked. "I just go by Mal."

"Your title," The general snapped. "You forgot to include your title, therefore, the paper may not be accepted." He crossed his arms with a sneer. Ben closed his eyes. He looked like he was about to break something.

"Upon accepting Ben's proposal a few weeks ago, my title changed. I'm now the official queen-in-training, but there isn't a title which comes with that. The only title I'm permitted to use at this time is Ms, but that title's purpose is negated as it asks me for my gender down here," Mal lied. She pointed to the different pertinent parts of the paper and grit her teeth. "On top of that, this is the format I have been instructed to use by the palace. All is correct."

The general looked very, very annoyed. "Now, see here!" He announced with a growl.

"Sir," One of the soldiers hissed from the other side of Ben. The general looked up to his subordinate, who made a desperate gesture at his throat with his hand. "Shut up," The soldier hissed. "You've already made him mad."

Ben bit his lip and exhaled through his nose. He pointed to the soldier and looked at the general. "Promote him," He commanded the general. "He may very well save your hide the _next_ time you reach my last nerve."

Ben carefully took Mal's hand. The blood was leaking all over her hand as she carefully tried to angle the cut away from the table. Ben hissed as everyone stared at the red coating her skin. Ben cleared his throat. "The emergency situation had been resolved and none of us require guards anymore. You may all be dismissed at your nearest discretion."

The doors opened and one by one, the soldiers all stepped outside. The general hung his head and left without even bowing or acknowledging Ben's presence in the room.

Ben swallowed hard and pulled a handkerchief out of his pocket. He handed it to Mal, who began to expertly wrap it around her hand. "I'm sorry about him," He muttered fiercely. "He gets rash when I don't let him have his way," Ben grumbled and rubbed a hand down his face. "I'm sorry you were detained. If I'd known, I would have called for you sooner."

"You called for me?" Mal frowned. She hated when he did that, sending servants to pick her up like she was some sort of delivery.

"Well, you weren't picking up your phone, and you hadn't come to see me yet," Ben grumbled. He ran a hand through his hair. Mal rolled her eyes.

"Glad to see I was missed. How was your meeting?" Mal asked.

"Oh, fabulous," Ben rolled his eyes. "Midway through listening to Chad Charming complain about how Cinderellasburg is being neglected, the security systems engage, I'm deafened by the blaring of the alarm right behind my head, the bars engage on the windows, inciting panic from almost everyone in the room, and I'm informed via casual notification my cell phone is being tracked. Guards burst into the room, order everyone to the ground with their hands covering their necks, I'm escorted out by armed personnel and since I happened to be trying to text you when everything went down, my phone was confiscated as well. After sitting in my room for twenty minutes wondering what's going on, I'm informed my father died and was revitalized, after which I have to see out all of my guests who were locked in the meeting room without me before I'm rushed to the hospital. All in all, it's been a fabulous last three hours of my life."

"I bet my story can rival yours," Mal rolled her eyes. "I'm sitting in my office, finishing some paperwork, and my father-in-law knocks on the door. We exchange words, and he asks if I want to take a walk with him out into the garden. Outside he seems tired and short of breath. We sit down for a spell, he asks me to escort him back into the palace, stands up, and promptly dies at my feet. I call Emergency Services while bringing him back to life, guards start listening in on my phone call, and suddenly all of the castle is on lockdown, my phone is seized by Auradon Guards from a distance before they arrive on scene and physically take my phone away, I'm escorted to my room via execution squadron, three of which are locked in my room with me with no safety on their guns, I'm informed I'm under arrest for sabotaging the former King of Auradon's health despite the fact I'm the person who brought him back to life, and then I sit in boredom for almost an hour and a half until I'm finally 'summoned' by his highness himself."

Ben sighed. He reached across the table and took her hand. "Thanks for saving my dad," He whispered softly. "If you hadn't been there, we'd be planning a funeral now."

Mal shrugged. "Of course," She whispered.

Ben squeezed her hand, and then glanced over at his mom. "That being said, lots of things were leaked to Auradon today. And it's not looking too good for you. We need to start mopping things up."

"Not looking good for me?" Mal frowned.

Ben nodded, mouth twisting into a sneer of disgust. "Get this: All of Auradon knows the Former King was hospitalized, that the palace went into lockdown, that 'Lady Mal' was escorted inside by armed guards and did not appear at the hospital beside me and mom, and that you were the only person with dad when everything went down. Guess what the rumors are?"

Mal winced. "Please tell me you're kidding," She groaned.

Ben pulled out his phone with a sigh. "Top Story of the day: Lady Mal attacks Former King Adam, future father-in-law," He announced, turning the phone around. Pictures of her on Ben's arm from the night he'd proposed filled the screen. "I've already posted something on social media, but that was before I found out you were being detained."

"Oh my gosh," Mal pushed the phone away with a pained expression. "That's so unfair. I saved his life, and all that got out was that he almost died, and I was the only person around?"

Ben shook his head. "We need to review our detainee policies," He mumbled to his mom. "Every time this happens… it's ridiculous."

"Do you usually imprison everyone in the area until the guards know exactly what happened?" Mal frowned, scrunching her eyebrows together.

"Yes, actually," Ben rolled his eyes. "Did I ever tell you about the time my entire sixth-grade class was detained after I broke my arm at school?"

Mal stared at him, waiting for him to take it back, but he didn't. She turned away, shaking her head. "That's preposterous," She sighed.

"It was three teachers, two or three hundred students, and one parent with her little baby that had been walking to the school to check her kid out. They were all detained for an hour until my dad realized what had happened and put a stop to that," Ben recalled, shaking his head. "But anyways, all of Auradon believes you're under arrest, which was unfortunately true."

Mal swallowed. "Can I go see Adam? I want to go see him, and if I'm photographed walking in or out of the hospital then…" She trailed off as Ben began to nod along to her plan.

"That sounds inspired," He hummed. "Yeah, let's do that, but not right now. I forgot to ask: are you alright?"

"I'm bleeding, and my father-in-law died in front of me," Mal laughed dryly. "I'm peachy."

"The doctors told me that he was only gone for about two minutes. You work fast," Ben complimented her, reaching across the table to squeeze her hand again.

"I've had to resuscitate people before," Mal shrugged. "I just… wasn't expecting my father-in-law to drop to the ground in front of me."

"Well, thank you," Ben whispered again. He stood up a little and leaned across the table to her. He pressed a kiss to her cheek before the doors opened to the room and a palace guard entered and stood at attention.

"Your majesty," He began in a firm tone. "The hospital just paged to inform the royal family that Former King Adam has woken up."

Ben exhaled and stood up with a nod. "Can you please arrange for a car to take three down to the hospital? And, if you can," He set a hand down on Mal's shoulder, "Please find out where her cellular device went. I want it returned to her as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir," The guard nodded, turned at point, and walked out of the room. Ben glanced at his watch and sighed.

"I have to go," He whispered, which was a normal statement. He put his hands down on Mal's shoulders and squeezed them briefly before he turned and left the room too. Mal watched him go expressionlessly, wondering what Adam would have to say to her when they next saw each other.

* * *

At least five different news crews had gathered outside the palace and were speaking energetically to cameras whilst citizens who, apparently, didn't have anything better to do with their lives waited outside the doors for news. The palace car pulled up alongside the hospital entrance and palace guards who were still standing garrison outside the entrance immediately moved to clear a path. People began to scream in excitement as one of the guards opened the door and helped Belle step outside. Reporters scribbled away on notepads but didn't yell any questions at her as she passed by on the arm of one of the armed guards.

Ben stepped out to mass hysteria and raised a hand to the crowd before he turned and offered his hand to Mal inside. As she stepped out and looped her arm through Ben's, the crowd fell an odd, eerie sort of quiet. People exchanged looks and whispers among the crowds. Mal could see cameras zooming in on her face as she and Ben began to walk towards the hospital.

"King Ben!" A reporter shouted. "Have you received any word on King Adam?"

Ben stopped and turned Mal towards the reporter with him as he tried to face her. "The hospital paged us almost an hour ago and told us he'd woken up. We're not sure if he still is, but we wanted to be down here with him."

"Have you determined the details of his accident?" The reporter asked with a shifty glance towards Mal. Ben opened his mouth to answer, then paused and looked at Mal.

"Do you want to tell them, darling?" He whispered.

Mal swallowed. "I don't have any medical details," She told the reporter nervously. "But I was there when it happened. He was rubbing his left arm and was having trouble breathing when he asked me to take him up to the palace. I'd previously been asking if he needed me to call someone for him when his entire frame went rigid and he hit the ground in front of me. I hit my knees and he wasn't breathing, so I began CPR as I called for an ambulance."

"If Mal hadn't been there, we would be planning a burial now," Ben added to the camera. A muscle in his jaw twitched. He was clearly still annoyed that the blame had immediately been heaped on her.

"Why was Mal not present at the hospital earlier when you arrived?" The reporter asked.

"The palace personnel had to screen my phone, get my official statements on the matter, and ensure nothing was going to happen to me," Mal told them. "In short, I was tied up with paperwork while Ben got to come down with his mom for family time."

Ben snorted and nodded in agreement. He looked over his shoulder to the doors, where the guards were still waiting with weapons at the waiting. "We're going to go see him now," He announced to the crowds. "Thank you for your concern during this time." He raised a hand to the crowd again, and then he and Mal turned and headed inside the building.

As they passed the threshold, a wave of cleaners and antiseptics hit them. A guard inside the inner doors gestured firmly to a canister of disposable hand sanitizer. Ben and Mal both obliged and, rubbing the foamy liquid into their skin, continued inside.

Armed personnel surrounded her and Ben as they walked through the waiting area. Other patrons looked up and watched in amazement as the royal family began to trek through the halls of the hospital. Belle didn't have to be surrounded, and neither did Mal, but something about having the King out in public was a very, very bad thing.

They were led to a private ward by the guards. As they passed, even nurses who worked there weren't allowed to speak to them. One of the guards opened the door for them and then stood at attention as they walked inside.

Adam lay on a long, white bed with dozens of IV's and monitors attached to him. Mal flinched when she heard the tell-tale sound of a heart monitor and examined the sickly pallor of Adam's skin. He opened his eyes when he heard Belle's heels clicking against the floor and a smile immediately broke across his face. "Sweetheart," He whispered, his hand twitching like he wanted to lift it.

Belle leaned down and wrapped her arms around him as best he could as Ben and Mal stood at the foot of the bed. Ben wrapped his arms around Mal as tears began to roll down Belle's cheeks. The two older adults shared a kiss as Ben laid his chin on Mal's head and waited for the two to look up and acknowledge their presence.

Belle eventually straightened back up, still crying, and squeezed Adam's hand as he looked around the room. His gaze landed on Ben and Mal, and a smile spread across his face. "Son," He whispered.

"You doing good, Dad?" Ben asked, unwrapping his arms from around Mal and rubbing his arms up and down her arms instead as if he were trying to keep her warm.

"Been better," Adam laughed. He looked to Mal, who began to bite her cheek. "Thank you, Mal. I think we all know you're the only reason I'm here now."

Mal swallowed and shrugged. "Well, I figure it's about time I returned the favor. Without you guys, I wouldn't be here either."

Ben hummed as he leaned his head, this time, on her shoulder. She could feel his breath on her ear as she cleared her throat. "I'm sorry about your ribs," She mumbled.

Adam laughed. "Yeah, you did a number on them. Nurses said they were all clean breaks through. Easier to heal. You certainly knew what to do." He looked up to Ben. "How long was I down? A minute?"

"Almost two," Ben reminded him.

"How long do you have to stay?" Mal asked.

Adam tried to roll his shoulders and a series of very loud popping noises emitted from his neck and back. "I think another two or three days," He groaned. "And then they'll have things up at the palace to help me." He looked around to his family. "But I hope you all know what this is."

Ben's hands stilled on Mal's hands as all the hairs on her body stood on end. "What what is?" Ben asked.

"Coronary Heart Disease," Adam began in a grave tone, "Is a lifelong diagnosis."

"They're sure, then?" Belle asked. Her lower lip jutted out.

"Almost one-hundred percent," Adam sighed. "It can't be cured. This will, probably, kill me one day."

Mal stared at the flooring and nodded along to his words. Ben's arms dropped off of her frame and she knew, without even looking at him, that this was going to be hard on him. She spun on her heel and immediately put her arms around him. He leaned into her and took a deep, ragged breath. "It's gonna be okay," She whispered.

He nodded and took several more breaths before he put his arms back around her. Belle was crying openly as she patted her husband's hand, completely devastated.

Adam cleared his throat and whispered: "Mal?"

Mal carefully let Ben go, reached up, and brushed a few tears out of his eyes before she turned to face Adam and walked to his other side. Adam tried to lift his hand, and Mal put her hand in his, squeezing gently. Adam cleared his throat and leaned onto his side a little to focus on her. Mal got to her knees on the floor beside him as he searched for the words he wanted to stay.

"When I'm gone," He began softly, "Which, hopefully, won't be for a long time, I know I will leave Belle and Ben. And Ben will take care of Belle because that's the kind of person we raised him to be." He paused, and Mal's mouth went a bit dry as she realized what he was about to say. "But Ben will need someone to look after him too, and Belle is only going to get older. Mal, will you take care of Ben, after I'm gone?"

"Of course, I will," Mal answered immediately. "You know I'm not going to let him fall off. Someone's got to make his life interesting."

Adam laughed and squeezed her hand. "You're a good girl," He whispered. "Someone brought you up right." He let go of her hand and looked up at Ben. The ghost of a smile passed over his face. "I still don't know what we did right with you," He laughed. "Dang kid practically brought himself up."

Belle, Mal, and Adam all laughed, but Ben simply stood at the foot of his father's bed with tears falling down his face. Mal stood up and outstretched a hand to him. He took it, and she returned him to her embrace as he sniffled and tried to stay his tears. "Want to step out?" She whispered.

Ben looked down at his parents and nodded. "We'll be back," He whispered.

Ben and Mal stepped towards the door as Belle and Adam began to whisper together. She opened the door for him, and immediately the guards held their guns aloft. She waved them off. "We're going to walk down this hall together," She told them firmly. "You're going to stay here. We have our phones on us, and you've secured the entire area. We're not going to go out of sight, so you might as well stay here." She squeezed Ben's hand, and together they began to walk down the tan-carpeted hallway.

"He's not going to die for a long while," Mal whispered in Ben's ear. "You have time."

Ben nodded and used the base of his palm to wipe away a few tears from his eyes. "It just occurred to me that that time is numbered," He murmured. He exhaled. "I'm okay."

They stopped in front of two large windows. Outside, the crowds were still gathered, waiting for news. She took his other hand and leaned up towards his face. The moment her lips graced his, she felt all of the worry and stress of the day fade out of her system. Ben relaxed into her grasp as he deepened the contact and began to kiss her out in the hall. All of the pain, all the sadness, everything healed itself. They only stopped when they started to trespass into the beginning stages of drunkenness. Mal smoothed out his suit and noticed that the clotting on her hand from her cut had completely healed itself. She turned her hand around and then looked up at Ben.

"You're going to be okay?" She asked.

He exhaled and nodded, and she squeezed his hands. Outside, the sun began to set, and they stood in the sunlight, staring at each other as they considered everything that was about to happen.

* * *

"There's an unfulfilled need for a head of court," Mal announced to the meeting room. "I'm stepping down, and I'd like to nominate Anna of Arendelle in my stead."

Down the table, Princess Anna stood up, brushing imaginary dust off of her skirts.

"You're still eligible to work on the courts until you're married and coronated," The son of Tiana and Naveen frowned. "Why step down so soon?"

"She's taking over more palace responsibilities," One of the nephews of Eric announced, who had been there at Mal's first meeting after marrying Ben. "Therefore, she's not supposed to be interfering as much."

"As much," Ben echoed beside Mal, taking her hand and squeezing it with a laugh.

"Exactly," Mal laughed. She leaned forward to the table in dramatic humor. "I'm going to be interfering more on the palace side. Get this: me taking over some palace responsibilities took one of Ben's workdays from eighteen hours to ten."

The room let out a breath. "Eighteen hours?" Someone gasped down the table.

"That's not the amazing thing – the amazing thing is that his workday went to ten hours." Mal rolled her eyes. "That was Tuesday the third. And then lately, he's only had nine-hour workdays. The longest he was in the office this entire week was eleven and a half hours on Monday."

"How long was he usually in office?" Tiana's son asked. He'd set his pen down incredulously.

"Oh my goodness, let me tell you!" Mal proclaimed, setting her pen down with a thud. "The longest day ever was twenty hours and forty-one minutes. He's taken off one Christmas Eve and all eight of my birthdays, along with, I think, three actual Christmas days. His average clocked-in time was seventeen hours and thirty-two minutes. Now, since he and I split responsibilities, it's been seven or eight-hour averages, but really nine because we have such short workdays on Saturdays and Sundays and that messes with the averages." Mal waved her hands about her head as she spoke.

"You work on Sundays?" Chad Charming asked from down the table.

"I have worked every single day the last two years except for Mal's birthday and one Christmas Eve," Ben informed the table. "But now that Mal's helping balance meetings, we're hoping we can start taking Sundays off together."

"That's insane," Chad shook his head. "Okay, I'm going to support Mal stepping down. No one should be working that much. And Anna will do a good job." He nodded down the table at the red-headed senior member of the council. Anna smiled and brushed a braid behind her ear like she was still a teenager instead of an almost-sixty-year-old with wrinkles and grey roots.

"Let's take a vote," Ben proclaimed. He made several markings on his paper and then glanced to Mal. "You want to conduct?"

But Mal's head suddenly felt a bit full and her mouth felt a bit dry. She shook her head and waved him onwards as she leaned back, head spinning. Ben turned to the table and called for a show of hands as Mal's stomach suddenly rebelled against her body and began to churn inconsistently. Anna was approved as leader of the official courts, and Mal was officially free of her court duties.

"We need to proceed now with a quick overview of last time," Ben announced. He set a hand on Mal's leg, which would have felt quite nice if not for the fact her throat and windpipe were constricting on her. "Mal?" Ben asked. "That's you."

Mal stood up and straightened her notes from last time. "Last time we approved Ka-Okee to the council, welcome by the way, and the July 31st law was…" Mal stopped, and swayed, holding a hand to her chest. She abruptly shoved her papers into Ben's hands. "Cover me," She told him and slipped to the door quickly.

"Cover you?" Ben asked behind her as people rose out of their seats, asking if she was okay. Mal slipped out of the doors and sprinted down the hallways. She found a bathroom around a bend about thirty feet from the meeting room and locked herself inside. She dropped to her knees in front of the toilet about twenty seconds before she felt her stomach rush up her throat.

A horrible smell filled the bathroom, like burned cloth or hair or something. Mal felt something like fire spill out of her mouth and gagged on the charred taste. She leaned over the toilet bowl, doing her best to get nothing on her clothes, as everything rushed out of her.

What filled the toilet was thick, black, and sludge-like. Mal groaned when she saw it. Magical sickness. It occurred periodically whenever she let her magic go too long without using it. What she was seeing was the result of underused magic remaining in her system. She wiped her mouth and then slowly stood up. Using the sink, she carefully washed out the rest of the burnt taste from her mouth, flushed the toilet, and left the room.

By the time she'd made it back to the courtroom, her hands were shaking, and her head was spinning still. She slipped back in and returned to her seat as Ben finished up the notes from the previous meeting and turned to her with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you go?"

"I need help," Mal sighed dramatically. She leaned down and quickly kissed him, and immediately the churning in her stomach and head stopped. Ben jumped back.

"Ew," He exclaimed. "Why do you taste burnt? Oh-" He frowned. "Magical sickness again?"

"I'll take the medicine for it when we get out," Mal waved him off. "I'll be fine for a while longer." She sat down and took her packet of papers back from Ben. "Alright, where were we?"

They worked slowly, precisely. A few of the recent laws Ben had created were appraised for effectivity and then general budgets for the court were examined. Since it was November now, it was time to start wrapping up yearly summaries and getting things ready for the new, coming year. Throughout the meeting, Mal's head slowly got foggier and foggier. Occasionally, when attention was focused on the far end of the table, Ben would turn to press a quick kiss to her mouth, but even with the True Love's Kiss mostly holding her back from misery, she was growing more and more obviously sick.

The meeting adjourned around four in the afternoon. However, Mal still had to meet with Princess Anna to discuss her new Court responsibilities, so she stayed in her seat as Ben stood and shook hands with everyone as they slowly made their way to the doors.

"How is your dad, Ben?" Chad asked, clapping Ben on the shoulder in a friendly manner. Over the years, Chad had mellowed out considerably. He and Mal still didn't speak much, but he and Ben were back on friendly terms.

"He's okay," Ben assured Chad. "He was released from the hospital two days after the incident and has been here ever since. They've got him on some treatments – pills and such – but there's not anything we can do to fix the problem. Mal and Fairy Godmother are looking into something magical that might help him, but I'm not holding my breath on that one." Ben put his hands on Mal's shoulders and began to massage the tight muscles there, but there was no comfort in the motion. Mal immediately slumped forward and laid her head on the table.

"And it was what, heart attack?" Chad asked.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Mal thought it was Cardiac Arrest, but we're thinking heart attack now." He ran his fingers through the hair at the base of her neck and Mal closed her eyes. It had been three weeks since Adam had almost died. Since then, he'd spent most of his life in his room or with Belle in her library. Their vacation to Camelot had been suspended until Adam's doctor, who was scheduled to come to check on Adam at least once every month, approved him for travel.

"Well, I'm glad to hear he's okay," Chad rehearsed. He looked down at Mal – Mal could tell this because she felt his eyes land on her – and cleared his throat. "How are wedding plans going?"

"They're going," Ben laughed. Mal rolled her eyes – everyone kept asking and it was becoming a point of irony between her and Ben. "Evie's coming up… tomorrow?" He briefly paused in rubbing Mal's shoulders so his wife could nod.

"Eleven," Mal hummed. "She wants to do the final fitting for the stupid dress and then she needs to fix my shoes because the two shades of white didn't end up matching."

"You're shooting for the sixteenth, right?" Chad asked.

"Fifteenth is coronation day," Ben nodded. "And after that, everything will be official, and she'll need to be escorted everywhere." He laughed as Mal let out a grumble. He patted her shoulder sympathetically and began threading his hands through her hair. "Want me to run and grab your pill before my next meeting?" He asked.

"Pill?" Chad asked, confused.

"For Magical Sickness. It's when she doesn't use her magic often enough," Ben poked her in the side. "You're supposed to be doing your exercises at night," He reminded her.

"I'm doing different exercises," Mal grumbled, batting his hand away. She suddenly remembered Chad was there and corrected herself. "That was sarcastic, by the way," She assured him. It wasn't.

"Sure," Chad rolled his eyes, looking a bit awkward. "Well, I'm sorry you're not feeling well. Say, Ben, are you coming to Cinderellasburg next week or the week afterward?"

"You have a business trip?" Mal sat up, pouting her lip as she turned and frowned at Ben. He nodded and leaned down to kiss her brow, which didn't do much for her sickness.

"Just for two days," He told her. "And, Chad, it's the week after. I'll be in your palace over the twentieth and twenty-first, and then be gone before you get your family together for Thanksgiving."

Mal groaned and buried her head in her arms. "I hate your work," She announced loudly to the ten-odd remaining occupants of the room, who all raised eyebrows over at her. "You should quit, and we could buy a beach house somewhere. Just the two of us."

"One day," Ben laughed. She could feel him rolling his eyes behind her.

"Lady Mal? Or, Ms. Mal?" Anna spoke up from across the table. "When do you want to start?"

"Oh, soon," Mal sighed, sitting back up and rubbing her eyes. "Alright, boys, my successor and I need to have a conversation, so you're going to have to take it outside." She stood up to share a quick hug with Ben. Then, as she withdrew, she stole a slightly drawn-out kiss, hoping to stave off her sickness. It helped tremendously, and she sat back down with a clear head.

"I'll bring up your thing," Ben sighed, running his hand through her hair.

"Thanks," Mal sighed. "I'm okay. It's only a briefing." She opened her file to find the papers she'd set aside for Anna as Ben and Chad and the rest of the room's inhabitants moved towards the door.

"Does your sister get magical sickness at all?" Mal asked Anna as she found the papers and set them out. Anna shook her head with a slightly amused smile. Mal sighed. "Lucky lady," She declared, and without another comment, began the meeting.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, you're showing," Mal gasped when Evie appeared in her office holding three heavy-looking dress bags over her arm. Her best friend was wearing slim-fitting slacks with boots and a blue shirt with a neckline modified to hang over her chest in multiple layers. Her hair was brushed straight back and sleek against her skin. Evie smiled and nodded as she wrapped an arm around herself, drawing even more attention to the small swell she was sporting. Mal covered her mouth with her hands, half in horror and half in shock. She counted back dates in her head… Evie had to be at least three, almost four months along now. That was insane.

"I'm sorry I'm late," Evie laughed. "Doug was worried about me driving since it snowed last night. I had to battle him for the right to my car."

"You… look good," Mal trailed off. In truth, Evie's frame seemed a bit grotesque. She felt the remnants of yesterday's sickness kick back in as she stared at Evie's middle. To Mal, Evie looked a bit disfigured. She didn't like seeing her best friend looking like she had stuffed a folded blanket under her shirt.

"I feel good," Evie laughed. "I'm not sick anymore." She laid the bags across Mal's empty desk and held her hands out. "Where are your shoes?" She asked.

Mal pointed wordlessly across the room, where the shoes sat hidden on a side table along with a picture of her, Ben, Belle, and Adam. Evie examined the picture as she walked to pick up the shoes, one hand still curled around her stomach like she was protecting a delicate treasure. Mal wanted to throw up to get rid of the churning feeling in her stomach.

"Adam still okay?" Evie asked, examining the photo and rubbing her knuckles on the side of her stomach.

"Uh… yeah," Mal snapped back to attention and focused on the garment bags on her desk. She picked up the heaviest one and unzipped it. "Yeah, he's okay. Ribs are healing nicely." She swallowed as she withdrew the dress. It was the dress – the big one. It was white, unlike her actual 'Wedding' dress. The sleeves were different from anything Mal had worn. They hung completely off her shoulders and were held together by some very intense, detailed embroidery of roses going around her arms. They started around her armpits, wrapping around from the back, and ended a few inches above her wrists. The neckline was scooped into a semi-sweetheart neckline, and the bodice was short to give Mal as much skirt as she could get. Dozens of layers of white, shimmering tulle hung to the floor with the back of the dress being designed to trail along behind her. It was embroidered all over the skirt, but especially on that little train of skirt behind her. "It looks good, E," Mal stated, glancing up at her friend and then quickly averting her eyes again. "Auradon will love it."

"Yeah, they will," Evie smiled. "I put the roses in for his mom, and on the back, there's actually…" Evie used her free hand to flip the dress over and gesture to where the embroidery for her sleeves started. "Beauty and the Beast. I thought it was fitting for you and Ben."

"There's no back to the dress," Mal examined the outfit aloud.

"That extends to the sides. All of this –" Evie brought her hands to her sides and traced her fingertips down her waistline, making Mal shrivel internally. "-will be uncovered."

"Okay," Mal mumbled, zipping the dress back up. She lifted the neck one and unzipped it. "Ben's suit?" She asked, withdrawing a mess of navy-blue fabric. "Oh, no, this is dress fabric. What's this?"

"Belle's dress," Evie explained. "Ben's suit is still in my office. I'm embroidering things on it."

"Oh," Mal chorused emotionlessly. "Okay." She examined the dress. It was a pretty, four-part bodice with a long, swishy skirt and long sleeves. Belle was going to like it a lot. Mal set it back in its bag and lifted the last one.

"That's your evening dress," Evie explained as Mal dragged the zipper down. "I know you won't want to stay in the gown all day, so here's your out."

Mal couldn't stop a smile as she lifted out the dress from inside. It was mid-sleeved, down to her knees, made of soft, creamy lace on top of a cream slip inside. A brown woven belt was around the waistline. She hummed, drawing a hand down the skirt, and smiled. "It looks great, Evie. I honestly can't wait to wear it." She looked up at her friend, and her smile fell a little tight again. She slipped the dress back into its bag. "Did you leave your price in here?" Mal asked, checking the bag.

"I left it with the gown," Evie explained, closing her eyes and wrapping both hands around herself. Mal resisted the urge to throw up. "I'm going to sit down," Evie sighed, taking a chair against the wall and slumping into it. "My feet and my ankles have already started to swell, and no amount of Epson salts can get them to go back down."

"That sounds awful, E," Mal frowned sympathetically. "I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Evie shrugged, hugging her belly protectively. "It's honestly pretty cool. I mean, I hurt, but I'm so excited for everything that it doesn't matter."

"Yeah?" Mal asked softly, not wanting her friend to continue.

"Yeah," Evie affirmed. "I think this will end up being one of the best experiences of my life."

"I mean, if you're into disfigurement," Mal scoffed dryly. Immediately, the temperature in the room dropped fifteen degrees. Her tongue felt black as she realized her slip. Evie opened her eyes and straightened up, looking hurt. Mal winced. "I… didn't mean that," She tried to salvage the situation.

"Oh, no, go on," Evie frowned. "Tell me what you really think."

"No, Evie, I'm sorry," Mal stepped out from around her desk. "I mean – I meant…"

"You think I'm ugly?" Evie asked.

"Evie, please, you're one of the most beautiful people I know-" Mal started, but Evie cut her off with tears growing in her eyes.

"You think I'm making a mistake, don't you?" Evie cried. "You think it's a bad thing that I decided to do this and that I want to have kids and-"

"What?" Mal deadpanned. She had no idea why Evie was crying so hard all of a sudden. But her friend got up with shaking fists and flashing eyes.

"Just because you're paranoid about dying doesn't mean the rest of us _normal_ people who want children are misled," Evie shouted with tears streaming down her face, ruining her makeup. "Some of us actually find motherhood and raising children appealing to selfishly staying alone your entire life!"

Mal's mouth dropped open in shock. "That's – what?" She exclaimed. "That's a low blow, Evie."

"But it's true, isn't it? You don't care about the kingdom, about Ben, it's all about you and your life and your happily-ever-after as Queen of freaking Auradon! Ever since you moved in with Ben you've been caring about us less and less," Evie yelled.

"Since when have I stopped caring?" Mal shouted back. "It's not like you guys have been an important part of my life _every time_ something important happened. Geesh, I'm sorry I can't drop everything and go on girl's days with you anymore, E. It's not like I can just decide to close up doors for a day and finish all my projects tomorrow like you can. An entire country is depending on Ben and me, Evie!"

"There you go, making it all about you!" Evie sobbed. "I have the kingdom, Evie. My husband is the most important person in my life. My work is so much more important than yours. Did it ever occur to you that I worked for what I have! It's not like I'm just marrying the king to make all my wishes come true."

"I'm making it all about me?" Mal asked incredulously. "Yeah, you know what, balancing a kingdom is way more important than making dresses for all of Auradon. Why? Because my work keeps your shop open. And it keeps money in the community, and it gives you Palace Certified bonuses. And for god's sake, Doug is the most important person in your life! And I worked long and hard to get to where I am. I dealt with the courts and all their loopholes and casual hate for years! You've had your dreams accomplished for years, am I not allowed to be happy now that I've finally gotten my one wish!"

"You're shallow!" Evie howled. "All you care about is marrying the king!"

"All I care about is marrying Ben!" Mal shouted. "And it's not like I'm the person who grew up making plans to swindle princes of their fortunes and castles!"

"Yet look where you are now!" Evie snapped. "Swindling an entire kingdom!"

"I don't want the freaking kingdom!" Mal yelled. "The kingdom can go away for all I care. I just want to be happy with my true love, just like you have yours!"

"So now you're attacking my husband?" Evie shrieked, wrapping her arms around herself to guard against Mal's words. "Well, I'm sorry we're actually normal and can kiss without getting drunk like we're some kind of anomaly of nature! Maybe it has something to do with how you spelled him to get him to love you in the first place!"

"You helped!" Mal exploded. "And you're talking nonsense. Some of this stuff hasn't happened in years and you never had a problem with it before, so I don't know why you're all up in a tiss right now when you've got your perfect life with your husband who you can kiss normally and who doesn't have to work twenty-four seven so the two of you can take off work whenever the heck you want. And you've got your ring, and your baby, and your business, and you don't have everyone examining every move you make, always accusing you of sabotage, so I don't know why you hate me so much right now. Any day of the week, Evie, I'll trade you!"

Evie picked up her purse and hurled it at the wall, scattering lipstick, identification, money, and receipts everywhere. "But only the days I'm not pregnant because you think I'm ugly and delusional. You're selfish!"

"How am I selfish?" Mal shot back. Her eyes were sparking. She could feel power rising behind them.

"Because you're only marrying Ben to get in his bed, and you won't even have a baby for him even though we all know he wants one!" Evie claimed, rubbing her hands around on her stomach as she screamed incomprehensibly at Mal.

Mal snapped. Tears were suddenly falling down her face just as fast and hard as they were on Evie's. "That's not true at all!" She screamed. "You-you're just like the tabloids! But fine, I guess I'm a selfish wench for waiting eight years and working my rear end off and taking off court duties early to help Ben with his work and every meeting I had to ditch something fun for and letting my own mother be locked away and being arrested and everything!" Mal picked up a mug of pencils and pens off of her desk and flung it to the ground beside her desk with both hands, completely shattering the porcelain artifact into dozens of tiny pieces. "Get out of my office!" Mal demanded, throwing her finger out to the door. Magic surged out of her hands like electricity and the door blew off of its hinges as it tried to open the wrong way. Green flames like lighting bolts blew out of her fingertips and slammed into the wall, causing a minor explosion that ripped sheetrock and baseboards off of the wall, exposing plumbing and electrical work in the hall. The lights shivered, and then flickered out. All that was left were the luminescent sparks of Mal's magic.

"You make a mess everywhere you go!" Evie howled. "They're right; you're only going to make a mess of Auradon. Have fun being the last queen of the country _ever!"_ Evie snatched up her empty purse and her identification and marched out with tears running down her face.

"Why would you care?" Mal screamed after her. "You obviously understand nothing about me!" She picked up another jar, this one empty, and slammed it into the carpet. There was no response from down the hall as Mal sank to her knees beside the desk, sobbing unashamedly. There was a pause where there was no sound except for Mal's crying, and then alarms started up in the palace. Red emergency lights started flashing in her office, and Mal let out a strangled groan. She pawed around on her desk for her cell phone as it started to vibrate, informing her another palace emergency was taking place involving the electrical unit being suddenly destroyed. Due to the palace-wide power outage, she was required to stay where she was.

She'd broken the palace breaker system; great.

* * *

"Mal," Ben greeted her in a terse tone as she walked in for dinner that night. She looked up at the angry tone in his voice. Belle and Adam were sitting in silence on the other side of the table, refusing to look at her. Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and began pulling something up with a curled lip.

"I'm sorry about the wall," Mal sighed, taking a seat beside him. "I can explain. Evie… she and I-"

"Had a fight," Ben finished. He heaved a heavy sigh. "Yeah. I heard all about it."

Mal stopped and stared at him for a few seconds. "What do you mean?" She asked.

Ben set his phone down in front of her. It was displaying the symbol for an audio-only file. He hit play, and Mal's voice from earlier filled the area. "I guess I'm a selfish wench! Waiting eight years and working my rear end off and taking off court duties early to help Ben with his work and every meeting I had to ditch something fun for and letting my own mother be locked away and being arrested and everything!"

Evie's voice joined in, highly distorted and slightly blurred from the tears in her voice. "You're only marrying Ben to get in his bed, and you won't even have a baby for him! You're selfish! You spelled him to get him to love you in the first place!"

"You helped!" Mal's voice echoed back. Mal frowned. The recording had completely jumped back in time. It had been edited.

Evie continued screaming blasphemy in the recording. Mal's voice didn't reappear much more amidst Evie's claims of: "All you care about is marrying the king! Swindling an entire kingdom! It's not like I'm just marrying the king to make all my wishes come true."

Suddenly, the recording became even more distorted, and every word was being said in a different tone. Mal listened to herself speak with absolute horror. "All I care for is the kingdom. My own mother helped for years. I'm making plans to swindle princes of their fortunes and castles!" She clapped her hands over her mouth. The recording finished with her screaming at Evie: "Get out of my office!"

Ben took his phone back and threaded his fingers together, looking very tense. "Explain that," He demanded softly.

"That's not the full conversation!" Mal gasped. "They cut out all of the… and that last part isn't even real!"

"I know the last part isn't real. I can hear audio clips being reused. But I can't deny that that is you screaming about how you let your mom be locked away. And Evie…" He shook his head. "What happened?"

"I… I… we were talking about how Evie's pregnant," Mal squeezed her eyes shut. "Because she's showing already. And I said that she looked disfigured, and she went psyco on me and started screaming that I was attacking her and her lifestyle, and then she started taking digs at me and insulting me… I don't know what happened or what got into her, but she screamed at me that I was selfish for not wanting children and then we were both yelling at each other and…" Mal pressed her hands to her forehead.

Ben's expression softened as he listened to her explanation, and he nodded solemnly. "Okay, I believe you," He whispered. He took her hand and squeezed it before he turned to his dinner and used his fork to pick at his food. "Evie's pregnant," He reminded her. "Her emotions are wonky. She probably was just experiencing a massive mood swing."

Mal dropped her hands from her forehead and closed her eyes as she winced internally. "I never want to be pregnant," She sighed, hanging her head and heaving a heavy sigh.

Ben pinched his lips back together but said nothing on the subject. Instead, he tapped his phone with his index finger. "That audio clip is trending. Fifteen million people have viewed it in the last hour."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Please tell me you're joking," She whispered.

Ben shook his head. "Whoever put it up first has taken it down, but it's already too late. Almost all of Auradon is convinced you're scheming to seize the crown, and we've been forced to issue a pause on coronation day plans."

"But it's not what they've made it look like! And most of what Evie said-" Mal sputtered, staring at Ben in horror.

"Evie already paged the palace and revoked the statements online," Ben sighed. "But I'm not sure what to do for the rest of this mess." He slumped back into his chair and exhaled. "I'm sorry for doubting you."

Mal swallowed. "How… how did they get the clip?"

Ben shrugged. "I have no idea," He whispered.

The doors Mal had entered through opened and Lumiere appeared, looking a bit uncomfortable. "Miss Mal?" He called. "Someone is here to see you."

"If it's the general, tell him to go away and I'll sort out my own national security problems," Ben grumbled.

Mal stood up. "Who, Lumiere?"

Behind Lumiere, two figures moved. Evie stepped into the light with Doug at her side, looking ashamed. "Mal…" Evie whispered.

Mal sat back down and closed her eyes. She turned away from her two friends and put her elbows on the table and her chin on her fists. Ben set his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, Evie?" He asked.

Evie wandered to Mal's side and dropped to the ground despite the extra weight on her. "Mal, I'm so sorry," She whispered. "I just… got angry, and…"

Mal sniffled and immediately, tears pricked at her eyes. She turned away from Evie and began to scrub furiously at her eyes.

"I didn't mean any of those awful things I said," Evie promised. "And I swear I didn't mean for it to get out."

Lumiere pulled the doors closed and walked away. Doug stood awkwardly beside them. Ben sighed as he stood up and put his hands on Mal's shoulders again. Mal covered her face and began to sob.

"She'll be okay," Ben promised Evie. "She just needs more time. And in advance, she didn't mean the things she said to you either."

"It was my fault," Evie declared softly. "I overreacted when she said pregnancy was cool if you were into disfigurement."

"That's the line?" Ben asked, hands stilling on Mal's shoulders. He let out a sigh. "Ouch."

Mal felt her heart descending into a little black hole in the pit of her stomach. She wiped her eyes but still couldn't find the strength to look at Evie.

"I didn't mean any of it," Evie whispered. "You're not selfish, you're not cruel. You're already an amazing queen and Auradon is luckier than they realize to have you. I'm sorry I attacked you and Ben, and I took advantage of your fears that you'd told me, and I'm sorry." Evie took a ragged breath. "I don't know how to make things better."

Mal took a deep breath and finally turned her feet back to face Evie. She focused on Evie's shoes, looking past her bloated stomach, as she sniffled the last of her hiccups away. "I'm okay," She announced to the table. She cleared her throat. "Was there anyone in the hall when you left?" She whispered.

"No," Evie affirmed. Mal turned to look over her shoulder at Ben. "Does the palace have tapes in my office?"

"They shouldn't," Ben shook his head. "Office conversations are strictly private. But… someone else might have bugged it." He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'll have the guards search your room for bugs. In the meantime, be careful what you say in there."

Mal nodded and reached for a glass of water on the table. "I'm sorry for what I said. I'm glad you're happy. I am. It's not the choice I'd pick for me, but you already knew that."

"I know," Evie nodded. "And I shouldn't have used that against you. I just got so worked up and then… I was angry and…" Evie suddenly burst into tears and collapsed on her butt on the floor. "I'm a horrible friend," She sobbed. "I don't deserve to know the queen. I don't deserve to be married. I should sell everything and go back to the Isle and never show my face again."

"Good grief," Doug mumbled by the door. He walked over and took Evie's arm. "But Evie, the nursery is in Auradon." He tried to reason with her.

"I shouldn't even be having children!" Evie dissolved into misery. "I can't even treat my best friend and my husband right!"

Mal finally got the strength to look at Evie as Doug patted her back gently. It was obvious this had happened several times already. It was probably why Evie was coming up to apologize so late in the evening instead of earlier in the day.

"She's not usually so on-edge," Doug sighed as Evie covered her face in self-wrought shame. "Today's just been long."

"Want a chair?" Ben asked, standing up and walking to the doors. He opened them up and grabbed a chair from the end of the dining table. Doug helped Evie up as Ben brought the chair back, and the blue-haired beauty took a seat as she finally began to calm down. Mal gave Ben a pained look as he retrieved a second chair for Doug.

"Was it like this for you?" Mal leaned across the table and whispered to Belle as Evie's sobs began to quiet down. Belle shook her head in the negative while Adam nodded in affirmation. The double response was not all that comforting to Mal.

Ben sat down beside Mal and put an arm around her. "So, 'disfigurement' and what else? How did you get around to swindling castles and talking about your mom?"

"Evie started attacking my character. She called me selfish for not wanting kids, just like I told you, and started going off on how I was going to take over the kingdom," Mal explained, closing her eyes to rest them. She took another sip of her water.

"Mal, I'm so sorry," Evie mumbled, rubbing her eyes sadly.

"Me too," Mal whispered. She sniffled. "I'll be okay. It just… hurts." Evie hung her head in shame at Mal's words.

Ben squeezed Mal's shoulder. "We need to talk about that. If it's that big of a problem for you, then-"

"I'm fine," Mal snapped firmly. "I have time to figure it all out. Just give me a year or two." She ran a hand over her face and sighed. "It's not like I need to deal with it tomorrow or anything."

"We need to talk," Ben repeated, shaking his head. "You know we do."

Mal stared at the food covering the table. Belle and Adam were squeezing each other's hands, knuckle white, above the table. Ben's fingertips began rubbing little circles against her arm, and Mal couldn't take it anymore. She stood up, gathered something random onto her plate, and stormed towards the doors. "I'm doing dinner in our room tonight," She announced. "Goodnight."

* * *

The door in their room thudded closed, but she didn't turn away from the window. Her hands were shaking as they wrapped around a large, warm mug of something – the windows were open and frigid November night air was filling the room.

Mal listened to Ben set something – his coat, probably – down on a chair. She shivered as a gust of wind blew in from the outside and made her shirt billow out a little. She didn't move, though, as she continued staring at Auradon City, twinkling around the palace. The view made it seem as if she were stuck inside of a Christmas tree.

People lived down there. People who hated her, and who feared her, or who, at the best, didn't care about her. And this was the future she'd been working towards – forever pleasing a nation that really wouldn't care one way or the other if she died.

Heavy footsteps fell behind her and strong arms wrapped around her waist. A hand brushed the collar of her shirt down, and then Ben began to bite and kiss the area of her neck he liked to go for. Mal relinquished one of her hands from around her mug to reach up and thread through his hair. Her wedding band sparkled in the dark light on her finger. She dragged her fingers down his neck and onto his shoulder as she leaned her head to the side to allow him better access to her skin. His shoulder was bare. He'd removed his shirt.

"Do you think I'm a horrible friend to my friends?" Mal whispered as Ben pulled her against him.

"No," Ben shook his head. "At the very least, you're a better friend to your friends than I am to mine. I only speak to them when we're in meetings together."

Mal hummed in acknowledgment. "Are we calling off coronation?" She asked. It didn't matter terribly to her since she was already acting as queen and was already married, but she knew that the longer they dragged this out the more likely it would be that someone would announce she'd already married Auradon's core ruler.

"No," Ben shook his head. "I showed Evie and Doug out and then called off the pause without comment. Guards are searching your rooms for bugs. I don't know what we're going to tell the public yet, but I trust you." He sighed and his warm breath drew goosebumps down her collar. "I'm sorry about getting upset at you tonight. I should have trusted that you wouldn't be scheming against me."

"To be honest, I'd be more concerned if you hadn't been concerned," Mal hummed. "The way they mixed it… it was pretty incriminating."

"I'll trust you next time," Ben promised. "No more of this… paparazzi swaying our opinions. I know who you are."

Mal hummed and stepped out of his grasp. She shut the windows and let the chill in the room start to warm as central heating worked its magic. She yawned and began to remove her shoes and socks as she sat down on the bed. "We'll figure it out," She yawned. "Let's just go to sleep and worry later."


	5. Chapter 5

The stirrings were her first warning, and they almost sent her running for the hills. She couldn't even really explain the itchy, foreboding feeling that filled her when she rolled over the next morning and found her head and chest full of butterflies, but something horrible in the pit of her heart told her she knew exactly what it was. It was like someone was holding her stomach in their hands and slowly swishing it from side to side. She felt hot… burning, really.

She called breakfast to her office and walked down to meet it there. The wall was being patched into a framework of white. The carpet for the entire hallway and the wall from one edge to the other would have to be completely replaced after the wall was patched. Mal would have felt guilty if not for the fact she was swaying from side to side as she walked, completely lost in the maze of her mind and panicking as she stepped around tools and buckets of wall mud and the removed sheetrock. She stepped into her office and shut the door, which had been repaired overnight.

It took a few minutes to get going – she powered up her computer, setting the garment bags Evie had delivered aside for another day and moving the shoes and scattered possessions into a little pile for safekeeping. As her computer completed rebooting itself from the power loss yesterday, she finished the paperwork that officially relinquished her court responsibilities to Princess Anna and then sat back as a word document and a search engine opened without her command.

Mal skimmed the headlines: "Viral Footage from Future Queens Office Leaked", "Palace Coronation Back On Track", and "No Word From Palace on Scandalous Royal Conversation." She sighed irritably and clicked on the search bar. She drummed her fingers on the keys lightly, so that they wouldn't type anything, and then punched in: My stomach feels like its on fire.

It was probably a very, very bad idea to be looking these things up on the internet, especially considering her office may or may not be tapped and the Palace Guards were allowed to look at any and all signals leaving her computer, just like they were with her phone, but Mal hit search anyways and began to skim the list of internet diagnosis's.

Stomach ulcer… gastritis… Mal sighed irritably. She drummed her fingers on the keypad irritably and then began to key in: "Symptoms for" before the door opened, and she saw a flash of gold.

Ben took off his crown as he stepped into the room and dropped a long, tapered wire with a small black box attached to it onto her desk with a smile. "There's your listening bug," He pronounced. "And we were able to recover all the audio files from it, surprisingly."

"No way," Mal smiled, closing the tab before he could glimpse it and picking up the device. "That's pretty nifty. Where was it?"

"Attached to the underside of your desk, right behind where your computer wires are," Ben told her. He held up a flash drive. "And this, right here, is a recording of every single conversation that's been had in here for the last two months."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Two months?" She gasped. "Why so long? You hadn't even proposed back then."

"Someone must have had foresight," Ben shrugged. "We still don't know who." He twirled the flash drive in between his fingers and hesitated. "Can I listen to the file from yesterday?"

Mal's smile faded and her heart sank. "Yeah, I guess," She mumbled. "Need a port?"

Ben nodded, so Mal got out of her chair and offered it to him. He took a seat and began fiddling, pulling up her file folder and then plugging the flash drive into the side of the computer.

"Are you in a free hour right now?" Mal asked.

"A free two hours, actually," Ben laughed. "I just got out of a meeting with the National Guard Services and the National Emergency Services officials. Let me tell you, it hit a little closer to home than it usually does." He opened the folders on the drive and then fiddled with the volume on her computer a little before he opened the audio file. Immediately, Mal's voice filled the room. "Oh my goodness, you're showing," She gasped. Mal shrunk a little and picked up the bug again to examine it. Such a little thing, and it had caused her so much trouble.

Ben listened to Mal and Evie discuss the dresses with almost no emotion. His eyes flickered to where the bags now sat – across the room over Mal's printer – and let loose the tiniest of smiles when he heard Evie's description of the details on Mal's dress. All too soon, though, the conversation soured.

"I mean if you're into disfigurement," Mal's voice echoed around the room, full of disgust and unease. Ben's eyebrows shot up as there was a long pause before Mal tried to correct herself.

Mal turned the handle on the door and stepped outside when Evie began to attack her. She couldn't listen to her and her best friend screaming at each other so soon after the actual event had taken place. It hurt too much to remember her best friend using everything against her and hurling every insult she could think of at her. But even through the door, Mal could hear when she began screaming.

"You've had your dreams accomplished for years, am I not allowed to be happy now that I've finally gotten my one wish!" Mal flinched. She bit her lip and wondered if it had been such a good idea to let Ben listen to the recording after all.

Eventually, the room fell silent. Mal stayed outside the room, leaning against the wall until the door opened, and Ben appeared. He leaned against the doorframe and stared at her for several seconds before he let out a breath.

"It's bad, isn't it?" Mal sighed.

"No! No, it's not." Ben let out a dry, humorless chuckle. "I mean, it's not good, but you didn't take any digs at her. She was just overreacting. You're okay." He leaned around the doorframe, shifted his weight, and then pulled her towards him using her shoulder. "Honestly, I think the tape more clears your name than incriminates you. And I see now how skewed the tape I heard was."

Mal listened to his words and swallowed. "What do you think of us releasing the tape?" She whispered.

Ben's eyebrows shot up. "I'm listening," He murmured.

"If we release the full tape, then people will know what actually went down," Mal sighed. It was an invasion of privacy, but if it kept her life on track, she was willing to make sacrifices.

Ben nodded. "Okay," He nodded. "I agree with you. Let's release it." He sighed, let go of her arm, and ushered her into the room. The door swung shut. "So…" he began, heaving a heavy sigh. "Disfigurement?"

Mal winced and closed her eyes. "I wasn't calling her disfigured, I was just..." She twisted her hands anxiously. "I was nervous and caught off-guard. I just let my mouth get away from me."

"Mal," Ben began with a sigh. She could hear the stress in his tone.

Mal stopped him with a hand. "I don't want to discuss it, Ben. Really, I don't." She wrapped her arms around herself in defense. "Not now."

"Mal, eventually that will have to-" Ben began. Mal exploded.

"I know, Ben!" She snapped. "I'm not backing out of anything!"

Silence reigned over the room. Ben's hands dropped to his sides. Mal shook her head and reached around him for the doorknob. "Mal-" he tried, but Mal ducked away from his grasp, just like she had all those years ago when she'd been blonde and miserable.

"No," She sighed, waving him away a little. "I have a meeting soon anyway. Bye, Ben." She opened the door and slipped out, shutting it behind her with a click.

* * *

They'd only been lying down together for about five minutes when the mattress shifted and she was pressed into his side. He pulled her close and wrapped her arms around her. Her skin felt cool against his. Mal buried her nose into his arms and took a deep inhale of the way he smelled. His chest was still bare and coated with sweat. She wished she'd gotten even an ounce of comfort from their expression of love, but instead, she felt like she was about to break down.

The feeling was back. Her insides were churning. Her chest felt like it was closing up with fear and she was shaking like a leaf.

"You're shaking," Ben mumbled against her ear. She felt him turn her towards him as her eyes squeezed shut. "Are you upset?" He whispered, running his fingertips down her sides.

Tears began to roll down her cheeks. She scrubbed at her cheeks and hiccuped. "Oh my gosh," She murmured, running her hands down his chest. His skin was slick with sweat that was steadily drying.

"What is it?" He asked, pulling her up into a standing position. The sheets fell around their legs. Mal wrapped her arms around her stomach as her shoulders shook almost uncontrollably. "Are you feeling sick?" He asked.

"Fire," Mal choked out. "My belly is on fire."

"Should I go grab your medicine?" Ben asked. He got up, started to swing his legs off the bed, and Mal stopped him with his arm.

"It's not that," She whispered, shaking her head. "It's not. I just… I think…"

"What?" Ben asked, leaning down and taking her hand.

Mal clawed at her stomach as panic set in. "There's something… it's inside me!"

Ben's shoulders dropped and he stared at her incredulously. He looked down at her body – completely bare still, by the way – and swallowed. "No," He shook his head. "It's way too soon."

But now that Mal had finally gotten the words – or the general idea, at least – out of her mouth, her head was clouding over with dozens of worries and at least a million thoughts. "Oh my gosh," She cried, leaning over and squeezing her belly as the feeling – the itch, the fire, the warning – turned her stomach from side to side.

Ben took a deep breath and tugged her into his chest. She unwrapped her arms to put them around his neck, burying her face against his shoulder as her body wracked with sobs. "Calm down," He whispered. "You're not. Not yet. It's too soon."

He sounded completely shocked. This hadn't been what he'd been expecting either. "It's too soon-" He exhaled. "Listen, we'll call someone, okay? Someone tomorrow. I'll have a doctor make an in-house call. Don't panic."

"I don't want to be pregnant," Mal sobbed, shaking into Ben's grasp, as his arms squeezed her tighter and tighter against his skin.

"You're not going to be-" He let out a dry, humorless, desperate laugh. "We have time."

But they didn't. She didn't know how she knew – it wasn't like this had ever happened to her before – but she had the most awful feeling that it was already too late to prevent, that Something, with a capital 's', had already appeared, already taken up root inside of her, and was already growing, feeding off of her body.

She cried and cried onto his muscled frame as Ben continued crushing her to him, and then spent a few minutes trying to relearn how to breathe without a hiccup interrupting every inhale. "I'm sorry," She whispered as she wiped her tears off of Ben's chest. He only squeezed her tighter to him, and she heard him take a deep breath.

"It's okay" He whispered. "I'm just… worried about Auradon."

"Auradon?" Mal asked. Why did this have to be about Auradon, and not about them? She kept her arms wrapped tightly around him with her eyes clenched closed.

"They don't know we're married yet," Ben breathed, pressed a hand to the back of her head to hold her tightly to him. "Oh god, if you are, I don't know if it'd be legitimate."

"Legitimate?" Mal sniffled. "But… we're married. You're my husband." And yes, those words still filled her with pride.

"But you're not coronated," Ben sighed, finally withdrawing a bit. "I don't know if they'd have a claim to the throne. We have all sorts of anti-conspiracy laws to keep random women getting pregnant with heirs and…" Ben covered his face with stress. "Not to mention the general talk of you getting pregnant before our 'wedding'. I could get cited by the courts… especially with all the talk that the media has been putting on you since Dad fell."

Mal's mouth went dry. "Assuming it's not legitimate," she gasped. "Does that mean-"

"The right to the throne would go to a second child, though I could probably argue the first to the people." Ben sighed, pinching the bridge between his nose. He squeezed his eyes shut and then opened one to Mal. "Are you sure, though?" He whispered. "It's only been two months. Do you really think that-"

"I feel something," Mal hiccuped. "It may just be my conscience, but…"

Ben nodded with a deep sigh. "D-don't worry about it," He stuttered, putting a hand over hers. "Let's… let's just go to sleep. You have a longer lunch hour tomorrow, right? I'll call for a doctor. Everything will be okay." He laid back down with a heavy sigh and Mal carefully laid her head down on the pillow in between sobs. His strong arms wrapped around her and pulled her tight to him, squeezing her comfortingly.

Mal squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her forehead to Ben's chest. She listening to his heartbeat for several seconds, biting her lip as more tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. Ben kissed the top of her head and began rubbing her back, and the floodgates burst open. Mal cried until she fell asleep.

* * *

Mal hated the doctor from the moment she saw him. She knew he was there to tell her nothing but bad news. He asked her questions about her body and life with Ben across her desk as she ate lunch, took her pulse, took her blood, and began running tests on a portable machine he had brought. Mal didn't say anything as the machine beeped. She examined the doctor instead. He was a tall man, with grey roots and a receding hairline, but with dark, intense eyes and a chiseled face.

At 12:45, Ben let himself into her office without a knock. He knew the doctor was in there with Mal.

"Hey," Mal mumbled as he slipped around the desk and put a hand on her shoulder, before continuing his trip around the desk. "You just get out?" Mal asked. Ben nodded breathlessly. He pulled a chair to sit beside her and cleared his throat.

"How are things?" He asked.

Mal shook her head and covered her brow with a hand. The doctor shook his head with a small smile. "Your… fiancée? Wife?" He looked up to Ben for a moment of question and then moved on. "She called herself a Mrs. Anyways, she has a very, very intense and obvious case of tokophobia."

"Which is the fear of…?" Ben sighed, running his hands through his hair.

"Technically, childbirth, but we use the term to describe anyone with intense fears of motherhood. Pregnancy, labor, newborns, they all fall under that classification," The doctor remarked. "It's not a bad thing to be afraid of, but very… unfortunate given your status." His machine beeped and he made a sound in the back of his throat, like an odd hum, before he began scribbling on Mal's patient form that she had filled out when he'd arrived. Mal slumped forward a little, even though she couldn't read upside down and had no way of knowing what he was scrawling.

"Can it be treated?" Mal asked with a sigh, rubbing her brow line.

"Well, there's always anxiety treatments and therapists and psychologists who can help with that," The doctor informed her with a sigh. "I can prescribe anxiety pills if you decide you want to try them." The machine let out a soft beep. He leaned over to check it. "I get people like you in my office all the time," The doctor continued, capping his pen and running the sample of Mal's blood he'd taken into the electronic reader. "It's very common."

"Really?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. "I had no idea."

"Well, believe it or not, the idea of nine months of being bloated, uncomfortable, and generally upset and then being ripped apart or cut open never to have your body return to its original form disturbs some women," The doctor laughed. "Combined with those mom websites that tell you things you can and can't eat and exercises you have to do and the general horror stories of death and blood and people breaking ribs and backs, and it's actually not as common as it should be."

"People break ribs?" Mal asked in shock. Ben leaned over and set a hand on hers.

"I wouldn't worry about that for you." The doctor rolled his eyes. "If anything, you're in for a low risk, easy ride pregnancy. You're active and healthy enough that this should be a walk in the park most days."

"You're speaking in the present tense," Ben pointed out.

The doctor glanced at him, scribbled a few more readings down from the machine, and shut it off. He threaded his fingers together and looked at them both. For several seconds, no one said anything. Then Mal put her head in her hands and whispered: "Oh, someone save me."

Ben slumped back in his chair. "For sure?" He whispered.

The doctor nodded gravely and picked Mal's patient file up to scribble more notes into it. "Only about three weeks in. This is when people generally start noticing. If I had to place a date, I'd bet that your conception occurred around the twentieth or twenty-first. That places a due date on approximately August fourteenth." His pen ran out of ink, so he tossed it into the trash and pulled a spare out of his chest pocket. "Now would be a good time to start taking prenatal care vitamins and, if you want, those anxiety medicines."

Both Ben's and the doctor's gazes fell on Mal, who said nothing. "We want some," Ben told the doctor with a sigh. He got up to crane his neck at the paper. "Do you have her height and weight?"

"I do," The doctor affirmed. "I think it would be best to get some that help more in the day, rather than at-"

"What do you think about an abortion?" Mal blurted out. Both people turned to her with a look of surprise on their faces. She straightened up, examining them both. Green tones appeared in Ben's face.

The doctor swallowed nervously. "I… am authorized to perform those procedures, however-" He glanced at Ben.

"Mal." Ben shook his head, looking absolutely devastated. "You can't."

"What do you mean, I can't?" Mal frowned. "It's my body, Ben. I'm not ready. I know I told you I would get there but I thought I'd have more than a month and a half before I had to accept this in my life and I just can't do it now."

Ben's fists were clenched, and angry red tones were rising in his neck. "If Auradon _ever_ found out you'd even _suggested_ that, you'd be hated by the citizens for the rest of your life. That decision is beyond us. The future of the kingdom-"

"There'll be other times!" Mal cried. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Auradon will never have to know. We can claim patient fidelity and have it done in the palace and-"

"That's not right to just throw it away…" Ben sputtered, grasping at straws for any argument he could conjure. "Tons of women who have abortions never get over the guilt and-"

"Do you really think I'd have guilt?" Mal scoffed. "It's _my _life at stake. Ben, look at me, I need more time. At least six months, if not a year!"

"I don't want you to kill our baby!" Ben exploded. He buried his face in his hands as he dropped back into his chair. "God, is that an awful thing to say? I'm sorry Mal, I don't want to watch you do that! Abortions freak me out – do you know that the baby can still feel pain and can hear you from month four and then their bodies still come out afterward and – god, no!" He shuddered so hard it almost looked like he'd convulsed instead.

"Well, you know what freaks me out?" Mal asked, scoffing in disbelief. "My pelvic flooring being ripped to shreds, my pelvis itself separating into new pieces, and hours spent trying to push an eight-pound living organism out of me!"

"I will pay for therapy, I will pay for painkillers, I will take all your palace responsibilities over and move you out of the palace and the public's eye and I will do everything I can to make this as painless as possible for you, but please, Mal, don't make me stand by while you kill it," Ben pleaded, facing the floor and squeezing his eyes shut.

Mal shook her head and shot back in fiery protest. "Yeah, will you pay the price of stretch marks and swollen feet and your back moving out of alignment and – no, Ben, I don't want to do this!"

"God, I can't even look at you right now," Ben moaned, pressing his fingers against his temple and keeping his eyes closed. Mal flinched back at his hard words and stared at him in shock as his face twisted in pain. "If these years meant anything to you, if all our work was actually for something, if you _ever_ loved me," Ben's voice broke, "Please, _please_ don't do this to me. I beg you."

Ben was begging her. Oh god. He hadn't begged her to do anything since he'd begged her to come back to Auradon after she'd left as a seventeen-year-old. Mal's fingers curled deep into the arm of her chair to stop the shaking, and she bit her lip so that it wouldn't quiver. "Okay," She forced out, sinking back into her chair and slumping her shoulders as they grew heavy with the weights of disappointment.

Ben pulled his head up and opened his eyes. They locked gazes for half a second, and then Mal looked away and closed her eyes.

"Thank you," Ben whispered, sounding absolutely relieved. Mal turned her frame away from him a few more inches, and the doctor let out a breath.

"You're a brave man," He whispered to Ben, not soft enough that Mal couldn't hear him. "I've seen that line work on exactly one woman in almost thirty years of this work."

"Can she get two anxiety doses?" Ben asked. "One for at night and one for in the day?"

"Yes, but only if I make them as needed," The doctor warned. "I think her main problem will be struggling with it during daylight hours. Does she usually sleep through the night?"

"Yes," Ben mumbled softly in response.

"I honestly expect her to have little to no physical discomforts with how uncharacteristically strong she is," The doctor sighed. "She'll likely keep her sleeping habits up, maybe start waking up earlier and going to bed later in the summer when her time is approaching. Sickness and nausea usually only last for the first few months. Her emotions will bounce a little as she enters that middle trimester. To be honest, I bet most of her problems will be psychological. The pain is going to be locked in her head with her. You need to do your best to get her help before the kingdom and the family and her friends know."

Ben let out a breath. In her head, she could see him nodding along and running his sweaty palms up and down his pants' legs. "Is there a specific type of family or anxiety counselor I should look into, or…"

"I have a small list of people my patients have said helped them," The doctor murmured. "She needs to start seeing someone like…" He broke off with an exhale. "Months ago, really. I don't know if this ever came up between you two or if this is just now surfacing because it's happening now, but she needed that preparation long before this became a reality."

Mal leaned further into her seat as she imagined Ben nodded his agreement. His hand appeared on her leg. "I have to look into seeing the other royal's regulations for doctor appointments, but I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot of each other for the next few months." Ben sighed.

"She'll probably need to see me less often than a normal woman would, which is good because she'll be busy here in the palace with work anyways. Don't let her get too stressed out. And, if you like, when her time is at hand, I'd be more than happy to come up and perform the delivery. I can be on twenty-four-hour notice even if you need me." She heard Ben stand up as his hand left her knee and then the brushing of skin in a handshake reached her ears.

"I'd like that, but again, I have to look into what the palace dictates and talk with Mal on what she wants to happen." There was a pause, and Mal felt two stares land on her. She didn't move, hoping they'd get the hint that she wasn't making any decisions on this right now. Ben sighed. "Well, thank you for coming up to us today. Have your secretary call mine and I'll get you paid for your troubles."

"Thank you, sir," The doctor hummed. He took a few steps and a shadow descended on Mal's head. He picked up her hand. Mal opened her eyes as she watched the older man lean down, pressing a kiss into the back of her hand. "Congratulations," He bid her. "You have nothing to worry about, your highness." He set her hand back down and opened the office door. The handle of his machine hung from his fist. He shut the door behind him with a thud.

Ben undid his tie and tossed it onto her desk. He pulled his chair closer to hers and sat down in front of her. "No tears?" He asked.

"Not yet," Mal mumbled.

Ben twiddled his fingers together and sighed. "I guess… we had a bit too much fun, huh?"

"I regret nothing but our lack of protection," Mal sighed. "We should have planned ahead." She wrapped a hand around her stomach, and then withdrew her arm and leaned her head back in mental anguish.

"I'm sorry," Ben whispered.

"Me too," Mal sniffled. She cleared her throat. "Should we move Coronation day up?"

"It won't matter," Ben sighed. "Anyone with a brain can count backward. Even if we had it tomorrow, people would still notice the timing is… extremely tight," He sighed. "I did look up the laws regarding any kids of ours. They'd be legal and legitimate so long as the court chooses to accept them as their future overseer."

Mal sighed. "That's the only good news I've received all day," She sighed. "At least I know people in the courts who like me." Ben nodded in agreement. She looked up at him and examined the slope of his brow. "You're still mad at me?" She whispered.

Ben looked over at her and shook his head. "No," He assured her. "And I wasn't really mad. It's just… for about thirty seconds I was sure I was living in a nightmare."

Mal couldn't rip her eyes away from his honest gaze. "I'm sorry," She whispered. "I really, really don't want to do this."

Ben let out a long, slow breath and then looked at his watch. "You have a meeting in twelve minutes with Auradon Charity for Gifted Orphans," He reminded her. "You should get going." He stood up and picked up his tie, quickly redoing it around his neck. As he stepped around her chair, he paused.

Ben lifted her chin up and leaned down. He stopped when his breath was warm against her lips and waited. Mal let out a long, deep sigh and gave him a kiss. Worry, shock, and anger quickly left her system, leaving her feeling refreshed and energized. Ben let her kiss him for a few more seconds and then stood up. "I love you," He told her, opening the door and putting one foot out.

"I love you too," Mal smiled, straightening up in her chair and waving a little to him. He shut her office door with a thud and Mal turned with a soft smile back to her desk. She spotted the patient's folder lying open on her desk and slowly, the bad, worrisome feelings began to sink in. With a sigh, she closed her eyes and leaned back into her chair. Some things were just easier to deal with after the moment had passed.

* * *

Carlos and Jane came up to stay the night in the palace over the nights of the 20th and 21st while Ben traveled overnight to Cinderellasburg. The excuse was that they wanted to spend time with Mal before a.) She was drowning in coronation plans and b.) Before they left on vacation so that Jane didn't get roped into helping with the said coronation. However, Mal knew it was because Ben was trying a bit too hard to make her happy in the hopes that she wouldn't change her mind on staying pregnant.

"So, how's life in the palace been?" Carlos asked, pushing a suitcase underneath the bed in the guest room he and Jane were occupying and then turning to sit on the sheets and stare at Mal, standing in the doorway and wringing her hands silently.

"Fine," Mal rehearsed in a monotonous voice. "A bit busy, but what else is new?"

"True," Carlos snorted. "The second term is underway, and I had this one kid who's been gone since the beginning of term walk in and dump a stack of papers from the first term on my desk before he asked for everything he's missed. Right before I left, too!" Carlos rolled his eyes.

Mal snorted a little. "I used to do that," She remembered. "I'd get so clogged up with court responsibilities I'd end up handing everything in seconds before the deadlines."

"I hate children like you, and I have formally written letters to all of my old teachers to apologize," Carlos grumbled, folding his arms.

Mal glanced at her watch. "I have a meeting to attend in twenty minutes," She announced half-heartedly. "I'll be out at seven. Maybe we can order fast food into the palace. Need anything before I go?"

"Seven?" Carlos frowned. "You work too hard. I thought you and Ben usually got off at… when was it?"

"We usually get off around seven, actually." Mal shrugged. "But lately we've been starting earlier. Things are… gearing up." By that, she meant that she had therapists coming into the building and Ben was scrambling to cover up to his parents and the entire palace staff(Aside from his secretary, who Mal was beginning to respect more and more with every passing day) the fact that a.) he'd had an obstetrician come visit Mal in-palace, b.) she was on regular anti-depressants, anxiety meds, and prenatal pills, and c.)the fact she was pregnant in general. Add that to the looming dates of coronation, the responsibilities of which they were both balancing and juggling back and forth, and their workdays had once again extended to eleven hours with breaks for lunch.

"Yeah, coronations are bears," Carlos chuckled. "When Jane heard that you and Ben were going to have one, she booked our flights to Corona without even telling me so she wouldn't get roped in."

"I don't blame her," Mal sighed. She stood up straight and heaved a sigh. "Well, I'd better go. You can text if you need anything. Or ask one of the servants, either way."

Carlos nodded and waved goodbye to her. She turned and walked down the hall.

As she passed by the meeting rooms in search of the smaller one that she was supposed to be in, where her stuff had apparently already been laid out, she heard a voice behind her. "Mal!" Jane called.

Mal turned and saw Jane, with her beautiful, long, curly hair falling over her shoulder, hurrying up the hall towards her. Behind Jane was Ben, with his hands in his pockets and a straight, blank expression frozen on his mouth.

"Hey, Jane," Mal greeted, giving the shorter woman a hug as she neared. She glanced up at Ben. "I thought you left after your next meeting?" She asked.

"I decided to delay so I could say bye to you while you're in between meetings," Ben sighed. He put his arm around Mal's shoulder and kissed her hair. "You going to be okay while I'm gone?" He asked.

"I'll be fine," Mal sighed. "It's only one day."

Their gazes froze on each other in a sort of look that made her heart thud against her chest while also making her fingers feel icy. She swallowed. Maybe she had agreed not to stop this mess, but that sure didn't mean she was happy about her condition.

A sound echoed up the hallway and a group of people walked up. They were heading to the same meeting room Mal was supposed to be headed to. She watched them pass.

"I got our flight tickets," Ben told her. He patted his coat on top of his chest. She had no way of knowing but assumed that he either had the tickets or the flight information hidden there. "For after Coronation. You excited?"

"Yeah," Mal agreed. "It'll be nice to get away." Sure, it meant that she and Ben would be crammed to the point of exhaustion the two weeks before they left, but it'd be worth it to leave the kingdom for a while and not have to worry about their looming problem.

Ben blinked slowly at her. He took her face and ran a thumb down her jawline before he pressed a kiss onto her lips. She let out a simple sigh of relief. "It'll be okay," He promised. "Don't worry so much."

He took his arm back and looked at his watch. "Crap, I'm late," He groaned. He gave her one last hug and gave Jane a fist-bump. "Sorry to run. Have fun tonight, guys! Jane, you should see if you can send me a picture of Mal's white dress, that'd be great. Evie's forbidden her to show anyone and Mal's obeying for once."

"Bye Ben!" Jane called as Ben bid a hasty retreat towards the palace central elevators. She glanced up at Mal with a raised eyebrow as soon as he was out of earshot. "Trouble in paradise?" She asked.

Mal let out a scoff. "You have no idea," She mumbled, crossing her arms around herself.

"Spill," Jane demanded, shifting her weight onto one foot and giving Mal a half-sort of a smile.

"I can't," Mal shook her head in dismay.

"Why not?" Jane asked with a frown. "You can't just keep everything bottled up. I know I'm not Evie, but-"

"It's a matter of national security, Jane," Mal cut her off. "I'm not allowed to talk about it with anyone except Ben." She rubbed her eyebrow in exhaustion. "I have to go, now. But hey, we should watch a movie or something tonight. I told Carlos he could order in whatever junk food he wanted. I get off at seven – let's meet up and hang out for tonight."

Jane nodded with a frown. "Good luck," She told her. "And I hope everything works out, Mal."

"Me too," Mal nodded. She watched Jane turn and head down the hall and turned her head in dismay. She slid her hands into her pockets and entered the meeting room feeling absolutely pitiful.

* * *

The thing was, she didn't feel any changes. Her main therapist(she had two) asked her every single time she walked in whether Mal had started experiencing any symptoms, and she hadn't. Ben returned from his trip, Carlos and Jane left on theirs, Thanksgiving passed and then it was Friday and it'd been a week since that fatal appointment and she was officially a month in, and there were no differences.

It was twisted, but she almost wanted to be so sick she couldn't stand up in the morning. She wanted to be so sore she'd wince whenever Ben touched her in any way and she wanted to be so tired she'd fall asleep in meetings because then, at least, she'd feel justified in hating this. But so far, after one week, there was nothing except the continuing feeling she was being burnt alive, which was a psychological thing, not a physical one.

Evie, meanwhile, had started posting pictures of herself on the internet as she started to show more and more, and so Mal temporarily disconnected her social media presence(Or, what little the palace would allow her to have) to avoid the panic attacks that came with everything.

Every morning there were vitamins that she didn't know the names of and pills that made her throat constrict. She had to take them in her room and then they had to be locked in a safe in the wall where literally nothing else besides the crowns and an antique sword that had belonged to Ben's Great-Grandpa was kept so that none of the servants came across them. And god, she hated it all.

Her physical relationship with her husband fell to null soon after they got the news, simply because Mal couldn't disconnect the two ideas of a.) loving Ben and b.) being pregnant. Instead, he'd simply trail his fingertips through her hair as she cried herself to sleep each and every night, which was embarrassing for her if nothing else. Most nights she'd wake back up and cry for ages over the horrid nightmares that plagued her. Ben didn't know how to help her other than kiss her and hold her as long as she'd let him.

November 24th was gone all too soon and soon November itself was gone and she was drowning in paperwork and therapy and the news hype of the upcoming royal 'wedding'. Then there were practice events in the evening where everyone was in costume except for her because she wasn't allowed to wear the dress in front of Ben. And since Evie was her best friend, she was head of the wedding committee after Ben and Mal, and therefore Mal was spending all too much time watching Evie surrounded by people talking to her, asking how she was feeling, and be generally disgusting.

They finished a rehearsal late on December ninth. Mal had been up since six trying to stay on top of everything, and Ben had been awake since four. As they cleaned up things, Mal tried to avoid the sight of Evie in a black dress with a billowy skirt and black blouse. Her hands were, as always, on her belly. That was one feeling Mal could relate to – always fighting the urge to touch her midsection where she knew there was Something growing.

Belle walked towards Mal and dropped a flute of champagne into her hand. Without a second thought, Mal downed the glass and immediately felt her head spin. She doubled back over, spitting the foul liquid out, and then set the glass down to rush towards a trash can on the other side of the room. The room fell silent as she completely lost the contents of her dinner and then straightened back up, wincing and wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

"Is there something wrong with that champagne?" She asked the silent, stunned room as she turned back around, holding a hand to her ribs.

"It… tasted fine to me," Belle breathed, staring at Mal in worry.

"Really?" Mal asked. "It tasted… rancid to me."

Ben's shoulders slumped across the room. The movement caught her eye and she watched him close his eyes and take a deep breath as his hands shook. Her stomach churned harder. "I just need something stronger," She sighed, still wincing at the taste stuck in her mouth.

Adam stepped forward, frowning a bit and moving carefully. He pulled a can off the table and brought it to her. "Try that," He requested with a deep frown.

It was only a whiskey. Nothing she hadn't had before. She'd had tequila and vodka mixed in a shot back at the end of her Auradon Prep days. Mal took the can and popped the top open without a second thought. The smell hit her and a wave of disgust ran through her body. She swayed on her feet and Adam's lips pinched together.

Suddenly, she realized why everyone was looking at her so strangely. She'd never, not once, thrown her alcohol back up. That habit was more attributed to poor Jane. But not Mal, never Mal. And an aversion to alcohol was a pregnancy symptom. It was part of why Evie hadn't joined in the alcohol games at Mal's actual wedding, the other part being that she was a decent mother who didn't want to hurt her child.

She felt irrational anger. She couldn't even enjoy a drink without feeling like she was going to throw up her small intestine. And, of course, her first real symptom would be something that was harder to hide from her family and friends.

Mal grit her teeth and raised the can to her lips. She knocked it back like it was a shot glass and resisted the urge to be sick as literally everything in her body screamed at her brain to stop. It was just a whiskey. It wasn't like she was trying to down Sunset rum on-the-rocks with a hint of lime and mint. Still, her throat blocked up and she almost choked as she finished off the drink. She dropped the can from her mouth and twisted it in her hands. "That's better." She announced to the room, forcing herself to pull a poker-straight face. She crushed the can in her hands to keep from showing how much they were shaking with the effort of not showing any weakness. She walked past Adam, who watched her pass without much emotion, and tossed the can in the trash can before she picked up a second from where Adam had grabbed the first. She didn't dare glance at Ben. Say, how many of these would she have to chug to lose the pregnancy?

"You can go back to business," She told everyone, cracking open the second can and taking another sip. "I'm fine."

Slowly, one by one, dignitaries and friends turned back to conversations. Mal saw someone take her champagne away, examining it carefully. Out of the corner of her eyes, she watched Ben put a hand on someone's shoulder as he maneuvered around them, on his way towards her. She turned and began to quickly walk away.

She ducked behind the table and around Carlos and Jay, who were launching grapes into each other's mouths. Someone reached out to ask if she was okay and she forced herself to take another swig of the foul-tasting drink to keep up the act. As she lowered the can from her lips, Ben's heavy hand fell on her shoulder. She hadn't been fast enough.

"Don't drink that," He whispered in her ear, trying to take it away from her without making a scene.

Mal grumbled and moved the can around his hand before she brought it to her lips and took a gulp with a completely straight face. The more she did it, the more her old Isle acting skills came back to help her. "I'm fine," She grumbled, "See? Stop worrying."

"_Mal_," Ben growled in the back of his throat.

"I need to go to the bathroom. Go find Doug and talk with him," Mal demanded, ducking out from under his grasp. She forced herself to keep taking sips as she walked out of the room until the world was spinning and her stomach felt like it was about to launch itself out of her mouth. Then, she continued pressing the opening of the can to her mouth, pretending she was drinking as she hit the hallway and finally sprinted into the bathrooms. She didn't even have time to lock herself in a stall before she was doubled over, clutching the basin of the toilet with the can on the ground beside her, barfing up everything – bile, alcohol, whatever sustenance remained in her stomach, into the toilet.

As she sat, heaving for breath and with her fingers still locked around the basin of the toilet, she prayed to all the gods she could think of off the top of her head that no one would walk in. "Please," she thought desperately, squeezing her eyes shut, "Please, don't let anyone see me like this.

The door opened, and Mal's head slumped in defeat. She heard the sound of beaded flats landing on the ground and then two cold, well-manicured hands pulled her curly hair out of her face. She got a glimpse of blue nail polish as the smell of the alcohol beside her overtook her.

When she finished throwing up everything she had in her body, Evie helped her up and guided her to the sink, where Mal began to wash out her mouth. Evie flushed the toilet and brought the can over to Mal, holding it distastefully. "Stomach bug?" She asked. "You shouldn't be drinking if you're sick."

"I thought I was fine," Mal grumbled. "Why are you holding it? Doesn't it make you sick?"

Evie wrinkled her nose. "Ugh, yeah. Ever since I got pregnant, I can barely even look at alcohol. It's gotten worse the last month too. Doug's quit until I'm done being pregnant because it's just so hard for me to be around." She wrapped her hands around her bump as she watched Mal squeeze her stomach as she finished rinsing her mouth out. "Why did you keep drinking after it made you sick the first time?" She asked.

"I… thought I could do it," Mal claimed half-heartedly. She shut off the water and upended the rest of the whiskey into the sink. The smell made her stomach turn again. "Ugh." She groaned, setting the empty can on the counter and leaning against the granite. "If anyone asks, I finished that outside. I walked away for some fresh air."

Evie's brow furrowed as she watched Mal pinch the bridge of her nose and groan in wallowing self-pity. Her hands dropped from around her stomach and she stared at her best friend incredulously. "Are you pregnant?" She asked.

"No," Mal blurted out, too fast. "No, no." She shook her head and dropped the can onto the floor, crushing it with her foot.

"When was your last cycle?" Evie pressed her.

"On time." Mal glared at her friend. "I'm not… I'm not… whatever." She cast her eyes aside and turned to glare at herself in the mirror.

"Have you seen a doctor?" Evie asked. "How can you be sure?"

Mal grit her teeth and ignored her friend. She closed her eyes and tried to focus on the clean, citrusy scent of the bathroom. Evie waited for a few seconds and then set a hand on Mal's shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?" She whispered.

"Talk about what?" Mal snapped. "There's nothing to talk about. I'm just sick because I've been working too hard. As soon as all of this is over, everything will be fine."

"Will it be, though?" Evie asked.

Mal's shoulders crumpled and her entire frame began to shake. Tears appeared as feel from her eyes as she hastily wiped them away. "This isn't _fair_!" She growled. "I never asked for this!" She dug her nails into her hands so hard she immediately felt drops of blood appear in their palms.

Evie's hands dropped like she'd been shocked. "So… this is for real, then?" She whispered. Mal bit her lip hard and glanced at her friend, who was looking absolutely shocked and a little… upset. She looked away and Evie let out a huff. "You got pregnant after, what, two months?" Evie snapped. "How far along are you?"

"It doesn't matter, I don't want it!" Mal snapped, waving her friend's concerns away. "And keep your voice down. If Auradon finds out about this, Ben and I will be in serious trouble." She pinched her fingertips to her skull as her hands shook.

"You don't want it?" Evie gasped. "That's so… Mal!"

"What? Are you going to call me selfish again? God, I'm sorry the idea of sharing my body with a – a parasite isn't really appealing!" Mal snapped.

"You're so lucky," Evie told her in a hushed tone. "You got pregnant just like that and now… you're just going to throw it away? Do you know how long it took _me _to get pregnant?"

"God, I'm sorry I'm not nearly as happy that I have something being dropped on me that you were blessed with," Mal grumbled. "The difference between you and I is that you were ready for it. I'm not. And what's all this 'why don't you feel like I feel'? Am I supposed to be just as excited as you were for your planned baby that doesn't literally put the entire future of Auradon on your shoulders?" She wiped her forehead.

"You're supposed to be _happy,_" Evie insisted. "Do you know how many girls would kill to be able to be you, pregnant and with _Ben_, of all people! You're not supposed to be chugging alcohol, which causes all sorts of birth defects and calling your baby a parasite and just being overall really, really-"

"Selfish?" Mal cut her off. She turned and stared at Evie. "If this were any other situation, you'd say I was justified for worrying about what I'm capable of before helping someone else. I'm sorry that our situations are completely different, and you feel the need to judge me based off of what you've found to be true in your life." She straightened up and wiped her eyes. "You clearly don't understand what I'm going through."

"I can't believe you're not the least bit happy about the fact you're going to be a mom," Evie sputtered, shaking her head.

"_I _can't believe you expect me to be happy about something you know I'm upset about and afraid of," Mal snapped right back. "Three months ago, it was all: 'you can do this on your time, it doesn't have to be right away', and now you're mad at me because I'm _scared."_

"Two months ago, there wasn't another person's life on the line," Evie pointed out with a frown.

"They're not alive! They barely even exist!" Mal argued.

The door swung open and two princesses who were chatting lively stepped inside. When they saw Evie's clenched hands and Mal's red face, they stepped back out carefully. Mal took a deep breath. "This is a matter of national security and I'm not supposed to be talking about it with anyone. You can't either, under penalty of the law." She and Evie locked eyes. "Even with Doug," Mal specified.

Evie shifted uncomfortably and glanced at the door. Mal waved a hand in her field of vision. "Do you understand, Evie?" She asked.

Evie hung her head for a second and then nodded. "I understand," She whispered.

Mal stepped forward and opened the door. The two princesses were still waiting outside, looking a little uneasy. "Did you hear anything?" Mal asked them in a hard tone. The girls shrank and shook their heads simultaneously. "If you did, you're forbidden to repeat anything," She told them and then held the door ajar. They slipped inside with red faces, exchanging bewildered looks. Mal shut the door behind them and returned to the party, pushing the entire conversation out of her head.

Ben was waiting in the hall for her. She went to him, putting an arm around his waist and pulled her body close against his. He looked at her in surprise and put an arm around her shoulders. "You okay?" He whispered.

Mal shook her head. "Evie knows now," She whispered.

The color drained out of Ben's face a little. "Well," He choked. "We'll just have to tread carefully."

They stared at each other for a few seconds, and then Mal pulled her head up to his. She kissed him, and he wrinkled his nose. "You taste like alcohol and stomach acid," He told her, withdrawing and wiping his mouth off.

Mal hummed, and simply leaned in to kiss him again.

* * *

On the morning of the fifteenth, Mal was crowded into a back room to the Auradon Cathedral, where Evie, Lonnie, Jane, and Belle helped her into the white gown and began to do her hair in an elegant, queenly manner. Mal's hands were shaking, and though she knew it was unlikely, the dress felt too tight on her frame.

"I'm going to be sick," She announced to the room as Lonnie carefully applied a thin layer of powder onto her face.

"Are you nervous?" Jane asked, patting her shoulder as she and Evie pinned Mal's hair into place. Evie's lips pinched together tightly.

"I don't really want to be queen," Mal sighed. "But at least I get two weeks off after this."

"It's not like you haven't already been acting as the queen anyways," Lonnie laughed. "Are you feeling like you might throw up?"

Mal's eyes filled with sudden, spontaneous tears. She ducked her head away from everyone's hands and began to scrub tears away as she hiccuped a little.

Belle got on the floor and took Mal's hands away from her face. "Is everything okay?" She whispered. Mal shook her head furiously. "What's wrong?" Belle asked.

Mal swallowed her sobs and exhaled. "I can't talk about it," She told the girls around her.

Evie frowned and looked away. Jane put a hand on Mal's arm as she crouched down beside Belle. "Is it because of national security, again?" She asked.

Mal hiccupped, wiped her tears away, and straightened up. "Yes, but I'm okay," She let out a breath. "I'm just a little stressed."

There was a long pause. Belle patted Mal's hand. She knew what it was like, to have law and legal worries seal her tongue. Lonnie began to re-coat Mal's face, but Evie set her things down. "I need some air," She announced. She headed towards the door as the other three girls began to repair the tear damage. As Lonnie started to apply eyeshadow and color to Mal's cheeks, Evie reappeared with flushed cheeks. She went to the back of the room, unzipped the last dress bag, and hung the creamy, lace dress up beside the window to air.

"Thank you, Evie," Mal bid as her friend came back towards them and began to pin white metal flowers into her hair.

Evie's face relaxed a bit. "You're welcome," She smiled, bending down and smoothing Mal's hair. "And you look beautiful. Don't worry."

Mal nodded and let out a breath.

Outside, television crews had been set up. Thousands of people were viewing this event – the coronation that they were treating as her wedding – from their homes in silent anticipation. Mal's hand was shaking. Today, she had to walk down an actual Isle, be coronated, and remember what she and Ben had been rehearsing back and forth for weeks – her vows.

The clock ticked forwards toward ten-thirty in a series of clicks that were reverberating into her brain. A knock sounded at the door, and Evie went to open it. She slid the lock out of place, pushed the door open, and looked for who was outside.

It was Ben. "Hey, Evie-" He began, But Evie immediately moved to shut the door in his face. Ben barely caught the door with his toe as Evie screamed: "He can't see the dress yet!"

"My eyes are closed!" Ben called. "Geesh, I have to talk to Mal. I'm here on officialish business!"

"Let him in, Evie," Mal rolled her eyes. "He needs to see me."

"Well," Ben hesitated, "I don't need to _see_ you. But I need the ring so I can give it to you in front of the country, and I need some good luck."

"Me too," Mal sighed. "Well, with the luck, at least. Do I need to take your ring until I walk up there?"

"I don't want you to take my ring," Ben sighed dramatically as he removed the silver band and carefully took a step into the room, holding his hands out for balance and so he could feel his way towards Mal's voice. "It's mine."

"You're taking mine," Mal laughed.

"You have two," Ben grumbled as a smile spread across his face. She watched him bump into a side table and got up to walk towards him. She took his face and turned him towards her. Immediately, a smile broke across his face and he brought his hands back up, putting them first on her shoulders to stabilize himself and then finding her face with a bright smile, even as his eyes remained closed tightly. He felt her brow line, her cheekbones, her jaw and her ears as his smile grew brighter and brighter.

"You look beautiful," He told her.

"Don't look!" Evie shrieked.

"You can't see me," Mal laughed, immediately quelling Evie's fears of Mal's dress being seen before the ceremony.

Ben drew a hand down Mal's cheek in a careful manner, rightfully assuming that she'd just had her makeup finished. "I know what you look like," He promised.

Jane and Belle let out happy sighs behind Mal as she smiled and blushed. Evie sniffled. "No, you don't. You haven't seen her dress yet."

"Do you want me to look now?" Ben laughed. Evie tensed up, but he kept his eyes closed. "I heard the description anyway," He recalled. "You have embroidery on your shoulders and there's no back to the dress." He dropped his hand to her side and let it travel around to her spine, knowing exactly where to go. His fingers spread out on her skin and his nails dipped below her waistline. He looked over to where he could hear Lonnie, Jane, and Belle shuffling and smiled in a conspiring tone. "That should be fun for later."

Mal threw her head back and laughed a little as he spread his fingers out on her bare skin. "You're a tease," She told him. "And this dress is only for the wedding. I have another one for the party."

Ben laughed in response and held up his ring. She took it and put hers back in his hand. He sighed as he turned it over in between his fingertips. "This is a sad feeling," He mourned.

"Just imagine what it'll feel like to put it on knowing you don't have to take it off whenever you go out in public with me," Mal comforted him. "And then we don't have to put up with so much secrecy anymore."

A tight sort of smile crossed Ben's face. "I mean, strictly speaking," He breathed, and then jolted back to reality. He tucked her ring into a special pocket on his sleeve and then took her face again. He dragged a thumb down her lower lip and then rubbed his fingers together. "Evie, Lonnie, Jane, Mum, have one of you put her lipstick on yet? I can't tell."

"We haven't," Lonnie laughed. She leaned against the chair Mal had been sitting in with a smile.

"Well, that's good, because I wouldn't want to ruin it," Ben laughed. His fingers hooked underneath her jaw as he fell down upon her, hitting her lips almost immediately despite the fact he couldn't see. Mal closed her eyes as her anxieties melted away. Her feet, which had been throbbing lightly from the heels, were now good as new. She opened her mouth to let him explore as one of his hands snuck down to her lower back to pull her snugly against him. Her hands became trapped in between their frames, and she could feel the muscles in his chest as she let her hands roam.

All too soon, she started seeing stars. She moaned pitifully against his mouth as her head grew light and her knees started to shake. He tried to withdraw but she wrapped her arms around him in a hurried motion to try and keep him near her. "Don't go," She begged.

"You won't be able to walk straight," Ben laughed. "We'd better stop."

Mal pouted, jutting out her lower lip even though he couldn't see it. "That's it?" she whined.

"It?" Lonnie chuckled behind them.

Ben sighed and took her face again. He pressed his lips to her in something that wasn't nearly as intense as the first one but was still very, very nice. She felt herself getting drunk, falling into his frame and swaying as her mind filled with euphorias. Then he stopped and leaned his head against hers. "Better?" He slurred.

"A little," She replied, squeezing him tightly as her head started to balance itself again. She sighed and let him go.

He felt around the edges of her face again and a smile righted itself on his lips. "You look absolutely breathtaking, though. I can't wait to see what you look like today, tomorrow," He took her hand and threaded their fingers together. "And the rest of our lives," He finished.

Mal chuckled and then he took a clumsy step back. "Evie, can you help me out to the door? Unless you've decided it's okay for me to have a peek…?"

"Don't you dare!" Evie hissed. She jumped towards Ben and carefully guided him towards the door.

"I'm opening my eyes now!" Ben warned in a teasing tone.

"No! No! No! No!" Evie snapped, shoving him out into the hall and slamming the door behind him. The sound of his laughter echoed under the door.

Lonnie uncapped a lipstick. "Okay, your highness, let's finish getting you ready!" she proclaimed. Mal chuckled and sat back down. Evie frowned from the doorway.

"Mal?" She called, "why does Ben know what the dress looks like?"

"He listened to the audio footage of our argument," Mal rehearsed in a tired tone. "Remember how the palace released the footage after someone edited that conversation of ours? We released a cut version but he still listened to the full version."

"The angry one?" Jane asked softly. Mal nodded, unable to say anything as Lonnie began applying lipstick to her mouth.

"That was Evie?" Lonnie asked incredulously. "Jay and I were talking and he told me it sounded like her, but we couldn't tell for sure."

"It was me," Evie sighed. "Mood swings. I really, really overreacted."

"Yeah, holy crap," Lonnie snorted. "I mean, I was listening to the version the palace released and I was like: Wow, that's awful. You really laid one on her."

Evie didn't say anything as she slipped some earrings through Mal's ears and clipped a necklace around her neck. Mal rotated Ben's ring around in her hands and stared at the engraving of their names.

"Ready?" Belle whispered in her ear.

Mal looked at herself in the mirror. The beautiful sleeves, her purple hair, and her small, red mouth. She looked like the perfect vision of a bride. Yet her gut was twisting, and her heart was hammering in her chest. "I don't know," She whispered. "I have a really, really bad feeling about this."

"Well, stop feeling bad," Lonnie laughed. "It's almost time!" She waved her hands about her face for a few seconds and smiled. Mal let out a breath and looked down at Ben's ring again.

Belle put a hand on her shoulder. "Everything will be alright," She promised. Mal nodded along to her mother-in-law's words and got shakily to her feet. She gave Jane and Lonnie hugs first and then squeezed Belle tightly before she slowly turned to look at Evie. She and her old friend stood, wringing their hands for a few seconds, and then Evie stepped forward with arms outstretched. Mal wrapped her arms around her old friend and ignored the way her new body felt against her front.

"Everything will be okay," Evie whispered. She was starting to shake. "And we're all so proud of you."

"You're going to be the greatest queen Auradon's ever had," Lonnie breathed, clasping her hands together. Mal swallowed. "Well, I can't say it'll be easy. I have to live up to Belle, after all."

Belle waved her off with an eye-roll and glanced towards the doors. "We'd better get moving," She whispered. "You have an aisle to walk down."

Evie pressed a hand to Mal's back, on top of the embroidery, and they opened the door. Lonnie checked around carefully to ensure that Ben wasn't around, and then they made their way to the front of the cathedral. In between the dividing doors was Jay and Carlos. Jay held a large bouquet of flowers which he handed to Mal before leaning in and kissing her cheek. Mal chuckled. "You look amazing," He whispered, taking Lonnie on his arm as he admired Mal's dress.

"I do," Mal confirmed, holding up one layer of skirts as she balanced the bouquet in her arms. "Evie always keeps me looking like a queen."

"It's not easy," Jane laughed. "We all know Mal prefers mud to makeup."

Jay and Carlos laughed. Carlos kissed Jane on the cheek and wrapped her up in his arms for a big bear hug. She smiled and kissed his cheek back.

"Are you giving me away again, Jay?" Mal asked as she took the flowers and arranged them in front of her chest. Jay shook his head and patted Carlos on the shoulder.

"I got to give you away at your real wedding," Jay laughed. "Now, it's time for your other brother to present you to your kingdom. I'm sitting this one out with Lon."

Carlos held out an arm to Mal, which she took with a smile. "Well," She exhaled. "What now?"

"Now we go to take our seats, and then they'll start the music," Evie laughed. "Don't trip."

"I won't," Mal grumbled. "Hey, Evie, what shoes do I have for tonight to go with that cream dress?"

"More heels," Evie laughed. "But they're comfy ones. I'll show you later." She kissed Mal's cheek and gave her best friend one more one-armed hug, careful of the flowers. Then she, Jay, Lonnie, Jane, and Belle slipped inside the closed doors, pulling them closed behind them. Only the strains of conversation drifted through the door. She let out a breath and squeezed Carlos's arm.

Several minutes passed with Mal shifting her weight from foot to foot as Carlos straightened and re-straightened his suit. Finally, they heard the grand organ start up. Mal cleared her throat, and two guards in Auradon Blues reached forward and opened the doors.

The cathedral was filled with dignitaries and official representatives from around Auradon. Flowers hung from the rafters and thousands of chairs had been set up in the room, filling it from front to back. There were more chairs than people – citizens stood around the room, holding small children up to see her as Carlos led her into the cathedral.

Down at the very end of the Isle was Ben, wearing a black suit and standing proud as he looked down the aisle at her. His crown was on straight, for once. He looked absolutely breathless. A smile spread across her face, and she blushed.

The moment she stepped into the room, everyone rose in a rush of color that seemed to rustle the rafters. She continued walking, one foot in front of the other, and keeping her eyes on Ben, who stood to wait for her at the end of the room, feet away from where he'd been coronated.

Carlos let his grip loosen as they neared the end of the walkway. Mal smiled at him before she carefully stepped up onto the platform, placing her hand firmly in his as they turned to face each other in front of the Fairy Godmother, whose wand was underneath its glass cover beside her.

Out of the corner of her eye, Mal thought she saw something dark and leather-like out of the corner of her eye. She turned with a frown, but there was nothing.

Mal handed her flowers to a little girl standing very near the walkway with a small smile and then stepped up. Fairy Godmother removed the glass and took the infamous wand out from underneath the glass. She stepped forward as Ben and Mal took each other's hands. Ben's ring had been slipped onto her thumb, where it was easily accessible for the moment that she'd give it back.

"Do you solemnly swear to love and protect each other every day you are married, for the rest of your lives, till death do you part?" The Fairy Godmother asked, presenting her wand for the crowds to see.

Mal nodded and squeezed his hands. "I do," She announced, loud and clear to the crowds.

Ben smiled and couldn't resist pulling her a few inches closer. "I do too," He agreed with a bright, exhilarated smile.

"Then it is my honor and my joy to bless and uphold this marriage," The Fairy Godmother recited, waving her wand around the two. White ribbons materialized, tying their wrists together loosely. "You may kiss the bride."

Ben's hand left hers to fumble in his sleeve pocket for her ring as she took hers off her finger. He leaned in and kissed her, long, sweet, and chaste for the cameras. Mal blushed as he withdrew, long before either of them would have started slurring their speech. Then, in front of the crowds, he took her left hand and replaced her ring on her finger, never to be taken off again. Mal held out a hand for him to give to her and slid his ring back on as well. All in all, they'd probably been missing them for a half-hour. Ben leaned in to kiss her again and this time, she saw stars.

The crowds applauded and whistles rang through the air, but it wasn't nearly as magical as the first time she'd been married. She was glad she and Ben had gone the route they had.

Ben took two steps back and away from her as the Fairy Godmother cleared her throat. Mal exhaled, and then carefully, as best she could, got to her knees on the platform. Her dress billowed out around her and the little girl who'd held her flowers gave them back so Mal could arrange them on her lap as the Fairy Godmother took up an authoritative stance in front of her.

"Do you solemnly swear to support the king in all of his responsibilities, and to join with him to protect the people of Auradon, blessing them in goodness and well-being as long as you shall reign?" The Fairy Godmother asked, beaming a little as she tapped the wand once on Mal's left shoulder and then again on her right.

Mal looked up at Ben as she ran her fingertips over her ring. "I so swear," She declared with her voice echoing like thunder around the room. Ben's smile grew brighter as he heard her announcement.

"Then it is my joy and my honor to bless our new queen," Fairy Godmother announced. She turned to the side of the platform, where a young boy strode forward with Belle's old crown laid on a soft satin pillow. She laid her wand down and took up the crown before she laid it onto Mal's head. Mal winced as one of the gold attachments prodded her skull before the accessory balanced and stopped hurting, though it remained quite heavy. "Long may she reign."

The crowd took up the chant: "Long may she reign."

Ben stepped forward and extended a hand to her. She took it carefully and he helped her to her feet. As she stood, the room exploded into applause once more. Ben raised her knuckles to his mouth and pressed a kiss to her rings. She laughed and squeezed his fingers as guests cheered and screamed.

And that was it. She was finally, after all these years, queen.

* * *

She missed her alcohol. Really, all she wanted was a stiff drink.

Mal stood, loitering at her own afterparty, holding a glass of champagne that she didn't dare drink and looking around with a political smile as people came up in a line to shake her hand and offer congratulations. Her pretty cream dress was swishing around her frame and her hair was hanging free around her head, though the crown was still pinned into her locks. The comfy heels Evie had promised were made of woven straw with fabric sewn around them.

Evie watched as Mal toasted her champagne to someone else across the room and pretended to take a drink. She looked sorely unimpressed.

Ben appeared, walking towards her with a smile. He took the champagne out of her hand, setting his and hers down on a side table, and then took her arm. A small crowd gathered as he took Mal's shoulders and abruptly dipped her low to the ground before he kissed her, pressing his tongue into her mouth as she held onto him, two feet from the ground. She pointed her toes as she held onto his shirt. Cameras flashed and people yelled in approval.

"You doing okay?" He whispered in her ear as he brought her back up.

Mal smoothed his shirt out and stood on tip-toes to whisper in his ear: "I need some more anxiety stuff." Her stomach felt like it had a rabid wolf stuck in it that was trying to claw its way out of her intestines. "I just… can't deal with it anymore."

Ben nodded. "I'll run out to the car and grab you a pill," He promised in a whisper lower than most people could imagine. He brushed her shoulders off. "I love you," He promised her, louder and in front of all their spectators.

Mal smiled and pressed a kiss to her husband's cheek, leaving a bright red stain that matched the ones on his mouth. "And I love you," She returned.

The journalists sighed as Mal turned and picked her champagne up. The party, fun as it was to see everyone so excited for Ben to kiss her, was becoming a bit much. "I'm going to take some air," She announced. She glanced around the circular building that Evie, Belle, and Ben had rented. The sun had already set outside, and the glittering snow cast the reflection of the moon up into her eyes. It was too cold to go out. She glanced up and saw a staircase leading up to a balcony that no one seemed to be occupying at the moment. It was simple in an elegant sort of way. Two staircases curled up to join against the wall, forming a second story that rested above everyone's heads. A gold wrought banister completed the look. Mal pointed up to the level. "I'll be up there," She whispered to Ben. He nodded and, with another kiss, disappeared to run out to the car.

Mal slipped through the crowd and made it to the base of the staircase. She climbed up as her heart began to pound and her hands started shaking. Was the dress really that tight? It hadn't seemed nearly so restrictive when she'd first stepped into it. And worst of all, it was mostly around her hips and ribcage, which forced her heart to begin running wild with thoughts of the… thing inside of her.

Mal tripped on the last stair and barely caught herself as she hurried out of sight of the guests. Upstairs, there was a tiled veranda with a balcony extending out over the snowy slopes of the hill the wedding party had rented. She ripped the crown and a few small locks of hair out as she practically collapsed against the balcony, heart pounding and head spinning. Then she examined the champagne glass tactfully. She raised it to her lips with a shaking hand, forced her throat open and downed the entire glass in one fell swoop. Immediately, her stomach rejected the foul, rancid-tasting liquid. She leaned over the balcony as her stomach rushed back up her throat in protest, praying no one from the ballroom noticed.

Someone's cool hands brushed her hair back as she groaned. She batted the person's hands away. "Mm fine, Evie," She grumbled.

"Evie?" A cruel, cackling voice laughed. Mal's eyes snapped to attention. She turned her head around and found herself taking five steps away to put distance between her and the person who'd appeared at her side. They were dressed in mostly black, with skull appliqué hanging from her ears and embroidered into a scarf she had coiled around her neck. Dark teal braids hung down to her waistline in thousands of thin, shrimp-smelling twists. A very long knife was sheathed at her side as if it were a sword, and she was fiddling with a ring on her finger in the shape of a silver octopus as she chuckled at Mal's bewildered expression.

"Uma!" Mal gaped like a fish, which was irony if nothing else. "What – How did you – Why are you here?"

Uma hummed as she leaned over the balcony to glance at where Mal had just thrown up. "Nice one, princess. Are you sick?"

Mal wrapped her arms around herself defensively as she glanced at the knife at Uma's side. "Sick of you showing up to ruin my royal events, sure," She grumbled. "What are you doing here?"

Uma laughed. "You got the Isle, then the king, and now Auradon. I am not going to be stuck with your… leftovers anymore." She cocked her head at the items in Mal's hands. "Nice crown," She complimented. "Belle's?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Mal hissed.

Uma laughed. "Well, aren't you feisty for a cornered girl? Tell me, Mal, aren't you curious at all how I got in here?"

Mal hesitated and glanced around the circumference of the balcony for clues. She glanced over the balcony and suddenly realized what was amiss.

"The guards," she mumbled. "All of the north-side guards are missing."

"They'll come back around in the morning," Uma laughed. "Sleeping spell. More your mother's specialty, but it works well enough for me."

She unsheathed her knife and took a step to her left, towards the ballroom, blocking Mal's escape route. Mal leaned against the balcony again, arms shaking. Her stomach was churning again, and suddenly it felt like her worst fears were coming to life. She was sick, incapacitated, and had nowhere or way to run. Trapped. She curled a hand around her belly as tears filled her eyes. Curse this small cell clump for all the pain it was about to cause. If only she weren't susceptible to panic attacks. If only she didn't have to worry about being sick or hiding that she wasn't drinking or needing medicine.

"Ben knows where I am," Mal gasped. "He's coming with things for me. He'll be here soon."

"Then I'll be fast," Uma laughed. "What's Beasty-Boy bringing you? More champagne?"

Mal's hands clenched into fists as she guarded her front carefully. Uma took a step forward and Mal's spine hit the balcony. Uma examined her stance – it was clear that it was delicious to her; seeing Mal with nowhere to run. Then, her face contorted into a frown, and then reverted back into a devilish smirk.

"Oh, is that what this is?" Uma laughed suddenly. "He knocked you up? Before your wedding?"

Mal stumbled and her shoes slipped underneath her feet. "No!" She denied though Uma wasn't going to be fooled.

"What happened to Princey?" Uma cackled. "I thought he was all about standards and everything." She ran a finger down the blade of her long, silver knife. "Imagine if Auradon knew about that."

Mal grit her teeth, planted her feet, and straightened up. "Uma," she hissed through her teeth, "if you kill me, you'll have killed the reigning queen of Auradon. That's an act of treason. Ben will have you executed for it. You can't run when everyone in Auradon will know about it."

"If that's the only card you have to play, you're less prepared than I was expecting," Uma told her, looking absolutely gleeful.

Mal set her champagne glass down on the balcony, along with the crown. She swallowed and straightened up. "I could still burn you alive any day."

Uma threw back her head in hysterical laughter. "Hasn't anyone told you?" She laughed. "Ah, there are so many problems with that plan I can't begin to explain how dumb you are! Palace life has made you weak, Mal. But go on, burn the building down with all of your citizens and guests inside. Maybe Ben will have returned by then, and he'll be baked too. And all your cameras are still rolling, letting everyone in Auradon know how _happy_ the royal family is, so I'm sure Auradon will be pleased to see the queen performing such drastic, evil magic on the eve of her coronation. I wonder if the palace could recover from the riots?" Uma chuckled and then gestured to the area around her. "Not to mention your other… incapacities."

"I am not incapable," Mal insisted, eyes flashing. "Out of practice, but not incapable."

"Go on, then," Uma gestured to the area around them. "I honestly want to see you try."

A crash sounded from inside the room. Harry and Gil appeared, stalking towards her with long swords drawn. Mal swallowed hard and felt her fist light on fire. She braced her body and went on the defensive, guarding her face carefully with her flaming fists.

Uma looked genuinely impressed she'd been able to manage the feat. "Impressive," She murmured as Harry and Gil approached her from behind. "How long can you keep it up?"

As if Uma's words had triggered something within her, Mal's fists flared and sputtered. For half a second, she felt the heat, real and painful on her hand, and she yelped and waved it out as a feeling like tingles ran up and down her frame. Uma laughed, turning to Harry and Gil and gesturing at Mal as if she were some sort of freak show.

"She's pregnant," Uma told her comrades through laughter. "No more magic, at least for a while."

"What?" Mal sputtered, twisting her hands back and forth as evil grins spread across Harry and Gil's faces.

"Don't 'cha know?" Harry slurred, tapping his sword on the ground as he inched close to Mal. "Pregnant woman can't work with magic. It turns out… horribly, for the mom."

Mal stared at them, her old foes, for a few seconds, and then abruptly kicked Uma back into Gil and Harry. The three went down, and Mal jumped over their heads. Harry snatched her ankle in midair and she slammed, face-first, into the ground. Something in her face broke.

Behind her, Harry raised his sword. He brought it down towards her leg, and Mal kicked out and into his hand. The sword went flying as Harry let out a yell. Mal turned, seized Gil, and wretched his sword out of his hand. She made to bring it down on Harry's arm, and Harry released her.

Uma made it to her feet, seizing Harry's sword and leaping towards Mal before Mal could get up off the floor. She locked swords with Mal using one hand and then braced the knife above Mal's left eyebrow. "Long shall she reign," Uma hissed.

Mal kicked Uma in the stomach, sending her sprawling across the floor. She pushed herself to her feet, and a fist came flying into her vision. Her head was knocked back on impact, and her ears started ringing. She coughed, and spat out a mouthful of blood, swinging wildly. Another fist connected with the right side of her head and then the fleshy part of her arm before she watched in slow motion as a boot landed in the center of her chest and sent her sprawling out on the floor again.

Another flash of silver signified that a sword was coming down on her head. She blocked it, pushed herself back up, and caught Harry's next right hook with her free hand as it came. She slammed her forehead onto his to daze him and then pushed him back into Uma as she came back with sword and knife waving in precise, deadly patterns. Then she turned and dodged one kick, one punch from Gil before she dropped her sword and stepped on it to keep any of the pirates from grabbing it back. She punched Gil straight in his chin, right over where his father's stupid 'swell cleft' was visible. She used the foot not holding her sword down to kick him in the stomach as he fell back, and then turned to snatch up her sword as Uma made a slash towards her neck.

She stopped Uma's attack with a parry and used her elbow to lock under Uma's shoulder, keeping her from wielding the knife. Harry was getting up, looking slightly dazed, but not down yet. She just had to take out Uma, and-

Gil kicked her feet out from under her.

Mal crumpled to the ground as the large, strong man seized her hands and pulled the sword out of them. Uma stomped down on her feet, twisting the heels at horrible angles on her joints. Mal let out a scream, and the music stopped inside the ballroom. She started to yell, but Harry jumped up and drew his fist back. He slammed his knuckles into her jaw, making her see stars in a way she hadn't in a very, very long time. The next target was her neck, and then he stood tall and stomped down on her chest. She felt something snap. He crouched back down and slammed his fist into her midsection, completely stealing her breath away before he seized her legs.

Uma released her feet and together Gil and Harry hefted her into the air. Mal couldn't breathe as her lungs refused to constrict. They swung her one way, then the other, and then launched her frame towards the ballroom. She flew through the air and slammed into the banister guarding the stairs with her stomach taking most of the blow. Guests looked up, gasping in horror as she coughed up a mouthful of blood onto the ground twenty feet below her.

For several seconds, no one moved. No one knew what was going on. Mal was bleeding, her dress had blood and mud on it from where she'd been kicked, her crown was gone, sitting back on the balcony, and she was struggling for breath as Uma advanced behind her.

She braced her hand on the banister and turned away from the crowd, leaning heavily on the metal as her feet slid uselessly beneath her. She couldn't get them to straighten up. More gasps ran through the crowd as Uma appeared, and she heard Jay let out a: "Let's go!"

Harry jumped past Uma and snatched the back of Mal's head. He ripped her neck back and braced the sword Mal had lost at her neck. "No one move!" He bellowed. The room froze. Mal looked down at everyone and saw people staring in silence with their hands poised over their mouths. Jay, Carlos, and Doug were all poised at the base of the steps, frozen as they watched Harry pull Mal's head back further and further. She swallowed and felt a dribble of blood run down to her collar.

"Harry," She whispered hoarsely. "I can't breathe."

"I don't know why you thought that was the goal," Harry hissed.

Mal looked across the room and saw Ben standing with his eyes wide and his hands poised in the air and let out a breath. Blood continued spilling from her nose and her neck, and she could taste even more of the coppery substance in her mouth.

"Out of the way, Harry," Uma commanded, wiping her brow and brandishing her knife as she stepped forward. Harry carefully kept his sword raised above Mal's head as Uma let the second lethal weapon clatter to the floor. Mal kept a hold on the banister for balance as Gil picked up the sword and went to the top of the staircase that her friends were poised at the base of, ready to fend them off. Uma balled up her fist and gave a swift right hook to the side of Mal's head. Her neck snapped back, and she almost flew off the banister. Jay flinched forward a little, and Harry raised his sword threateningly.

So here she was, slumped against the banister with her back to the room, holding on with both hands, bleeding and bruised as her frame shook. Uma raised the knife above her head. "God bless the Queen of Auradon," She spat in a crazed tone. "Long shall she reign!" And there was a flash of silver, and Mal felt something incredibly warm in her stomach. She let out a short yell as the crowd screamed below and people began to rush for the exits, all except for Jay, Doug, and Carlos. They rushed up the stairs and tried to dodge around Gil as he slashed to keep them back.

Mal looked down and observed the hilt sticking out of her stomach. She felt something die inside her – literally, not figuratively. She could feel that the knife had gone all the way through her abdomen, breaking through the skin on her back. And for now, it didn't hurt. It only felt incredibly, incredibly warm. Then Uma twisted the knife, and Mal screamed. Pain. Everything was pain.

She twisted the knife clockwise about halfway around a full circle, then pressed her foot to Mal's chest and yanked it back out. The metal came away red, slicked wet with her blood. Mal slumped into the railing.

"Stop it!" Jay yelled, slamming his fist into Gil's chest. The son of Gaston didn't budge, but Harry took his sword and rushed over to help him.

"Guards, guards!" Someone screamed at the back of the room. Blue-clothed people were streaming into the room. Lonnie, in a flurry of pink and orange, rushed up the stairs with two swords in her hand. She slashed, and blood spilled to the floor as her sword sliced through Gil's forearm. The pirates were quickly on the retreat.

Uma held up her knife, took a firm hold of Mal's hair, and drew a slit across her throat. Mal held her breath as she waited for the gurgling sound that would tell her that her artery had been sliced, but there was none. Uma, apparently, didn't know how to slit throats.

The pirate girl waved cheerily at Mal. "Ta-ta!" She bid the queen farewell, and then, hooking her hands under Mal's hips, hefted her over the railing.

She crashed onto the ballroom floor in a heap of bloody lace and tangled hair. Harry, Gil, and Uma began to retreat to the balcony. Her friends started to follow, but one of the guards yelled: "Halt! Ready, aim, fire!"

A barrage of gunshots rang over her head as everyone leaped off the stairs. Mal heard a yell, and then a shout, and then all was silent. The ballroom was mostly empty aside from the last few guests who were too frozen to move.

"Out of the way!" Ben yelled from the back of the room. She felt his hands land on her broken body and let out a cry as he rolled her onto his back. His hands roamed her body as she felt the presences of people gathering around. The world seemed awfully dark. Ben's hand covered the wound on her stomach as blood gushed out in a grotesque manner like someone was squeezing jelly out of a bag.

"Ben," She whispered.

"You're going to be okay," Ben whispered. "Everything will be okay."

"Ben," Mal mumbled. "It's gone." She felt the blood rushing up her battered esophagus and coughed up a bunch of thick, red liquid.

Ben's hand fell limp on her sides. "Yeah, I know," He whispered. "I felt it too."

Mal saw movement out of the corner of her eye. Someone in the crowd was scooping up three colorful, bead-sized items off the floor.

She curled her fist around his elbow and pulled as much as she had strength too. "Ben," She whispered. "I'm dying."

Ben wrapped his arms underneath her shoulders, supporting her head as he leaned down. His mouth pressed against hers, though he remained tight-lipped and there was almost no passion.

"Is she breathing?" Someone yelled.

Mal had her eyes closed, so she couldn't see anyone's reactions when she began to heal a little, but she heard everyone fall silent as the warmth in her belly lessened a little. Her back slid back into place. He kept his lips on hers, breathing through his nose until abruptly they started seeing stars. He let her go, and together they examined her. She had not healed, or, at least not all the way. She'd only been stayed from the edge of death. The blood was flowing less, her neck, back, and nose had fixed, but she could still feel the internal damage and the broken rib that Harry had kicked in.

Ben ran his hands over the oozing wound, ripped off his jacket, and pressed it to her abdomen. Mal focused on breathing in and out as Jay removed his coat, rolled it up, and slid onto the floor. Together, he and Ben carefully lifted her head and slid the jacket underneath his neck. Mal coughed when they moved her chest too much and blood appeared in her mouth. Her throat, she realized, felt incredibly, incredibly dry.

"Has an ambulance been called?" Jay whispered to Ben, who grit his teeth.

"I don't know, can you check?" He whispered back. Jay nodded and jumped to his feet.

"Can… can I have some water?" Mal whispered.

Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't think you can until we, um, take care of you." He let out another breath and leaned down to give True Love's Kiss another try. Mal let her eyes drift closed again. She felt small, small lacerations fix themselves in her stomach, but the gaping wound was apparently too much for the magical kiss.

Blood seeped out from under her in a perfect red puddle. Guests took a few steps back as the smell grew worse. One of Ben's hands continued holding his jacket to her gushing wound as the other felt down her arm until his warm fingers brushed her cold ones, and they both squeezed each other's hands tightly. He finally gave up, sitting back and kissing her fingertips instead, one by one.

"Help is on the way," Jay announced, crouching down again and smoothing Mal's hair over. "Why didn't True Love's Kiss heal her?"

"It did what it could," Ben sighed. "But even magic has limits. True Love's Kiss… just can't be expected to keep a person alive in situations like this."

Mal glanced around at the crowds and then squeezed her eyes closed. She clasped Ben's hand to hers and took a few deep breaths. Shouts came from above, on the balcony. Harry was escorted down, swearing up a blue cloud as two guards held his hands behind his back. When he saw Mal, he glared. "She's still alive?" He yelled. "Just die, already, you witch!"

The guards turned him away sharply. Two more guards escorted Uma down the stairs. She'd been shot through the cheek, and so her mouth was full of cloth. She sent a scathing glare to Mal as the soldiers marched her away. Then, finally, a procession carried a third person, whose body was completely limp, down the stairs. Gil, the son of Gaston, had been shot through the chest and was dead.

Ben pressed another kiss to her to keep healing her as much as he could, but the more he tried the less happened, and he knew it.

"Is she pregnant?" Someone blurted out from the sidelines. Everyone's heads snapped to the person who'd spoken; a girl with long, curly hair and a magazine pass. She was holding out three colorful pills in her hands. She pointed to them. "King Ben dropped these. This one is a prenatal vitamin." She pointed to the middle-sized one. The other two were the anxiety relief pills he'd been bringing her. Mal looked up at Ben, who straightened up in shock and looked on the floor all around him. That reaction all but constituted the conclusion: yes, those were hers. Yes, she was pregnant.

Jay looked at Ben incredulously. "She's pregnant?" He gasped, and then looked down at Mal. "We've got to – we have to-"

"She's not!" Ben snapped and covered up his face. "Someone stop the cameras. How much longer until the ambulance is here?"

"How far along is she?" One of the guests gasped. "Is the child legitimate?"

"That's why this whole thing happened so soon!" another one of the dignitaries called out. "You were trying to hide it!"

"No, no," Ben denied fervently. "No, we already had the plans in place long before-"

"She is?" Jane gasped, covering her mouth. "So soon?"

Belle crossed her arms. "This is the national security you were talking about?" She frowned.

"She's not pregnant," Ben shouted, pulling at his hair. "By God, can't you people just shut up for five minutes? She was just thrown into a balcony, stabbed, and then dropped twenty feet. Do you really think she could still be pregnant after all of that? Use your brains; the baby is dead."

"What about these other two?" The magazine girl asked, still pointing at her hand. "I looked these up – they're high-end anxiety and depression treatments! Why's she taking these?"

Mal watched Evie cover her mouth with two hands. Ben ran his free hand through her hair, staring at her, and she got the feeling he was about to take a blow for her.

"They're mine!" He announced, lying through his teeth. "Believe it or not, running a kingdom isn't always planning parties and trying to keep people from attacking your wife." Mal squeezed his hand tightly and gave him a look that said: "You don't have to do that."

Ben leaned down to kiss her again and finally, the sounds of sirens were heard around the building. Blue and yellow lights flashed across the walls. He kept his mouth by her ear and squeezed her hand so hard the blood flow stopped. "You didn't have to do that," She whispered. Beside her, Jay flinched, and she knew she hadn't been quiet enough.

"It'll look better," Ben whispered. "And listen, I can't go with you in the car to the hospital, but I swear I'll meet you there. Everything will be fine. Okay?"

Mal reached up and touched his face. Her hand was bloody and left red fingerprints behind. She could hear car doors slamming outside. "Ben, I'm sorry," She whispered. She wasn't talking about the blood or about the horrible evening.

Ben let out a heavy breath. "It's okay," He assured her. "Next time, we'll plan it. Everything will be fine."

The doors to the ballroom banged open and soldiers streamed in. "Where is she?" Paramedics yelled. The guests turned and rose the call up. As the emergency officials rushed over, Ben leaned down to kiss Mal again. He kept his lips on hers as long as he could as paramedics lifted his jacket off her, examined the wound, and began to pull him off of her. "Your Majesty, we need to move her. Step out of the way, please," They directed.

Ben got to his feet with the help of Jay and Carlos. His knees were soaked through. The paramedics moved Mal onto a stretcher. A large amount of blood remained on the floor, spreading now that there wasn't anything there to help soak it up. Guards stepped close to Ben, putting hands on his shoulders as the paramedics drew close. Ben waved them aside a little. "I'm going to follow them out to the car. You can follow me if you need, but please call ahead and make sure the palace limo is running. I want to follow them to the hospital." He started walking alongside the stretcher. All ten of his emergency escort guards followed him. Mal's standard five, plus her new ten, were marching around them, clearing a path for the paramedics as they hurried out the length of the ballroom, down the driveway leading up the hill to the building, and into the ambulance. As they began to raise Mal into the vehicle, Ben wrung his hands.

"I'm her true love," He told them. "If you would let me, can I kiss her one last time before she gets in? It might help."

Paramedics shook their heads. "She has blood on her mouth," They told him. "And we need to make sure her airway is clear and fix her internal bleeding as soon as possible."

Ben nodded sadly, and his guards made him take several steps back as two of Mal's armed guards helped load Mal into the ambulance, and then climbed up alongside them. All of her other eight guards would follow her in a separate car.

Mal kept her eyes on Ben until the doors shut. They rushed around in the small space, pulling on an oxygen mask, flashing a blinking light in her eyes, and then carefully inserting a needle into her arm. Someone male waved at her to get her attention. "Can you hear me?" He called. Mal nodded. He gave a thumbs up. "I want you to relax a little, lean your head back, and then focus on my hand." He held up a fist in her field of vision. "We're going to count to three together. I'll do it out loud, and you'll do it in your head." Again, Mal nodded. "One…" The man started, holding out a finger.

The car started to move, meaning that her guards were all loaded up in their car. One of the rules was the emergency services weren't allowed to remove the royals from their premises without their guards.

"Two," The man continued, holding out two fingers above her head now.

She didn't like all the palace rules. She used to mess them up all the time. She used to break down in her room and cry because there was so much to remember… so many rules.

She watched the paramedic mouth the word 'Three,' but couldn't hear it. Her ears were ringing. He waved a hand over her head in a concluding manner and she closed her eyes, falling fast into slumber.


	6. Chapter 6

There were dreams. There were good dreams and bad dreams and dreams that didn't mean anything but left her with a nostalgic feeling. One by one, they flit past her eyes like feathers under her nose, and she watched each go with a light sort of amusement. That amusement faded, however, when she felt the sunlight hit her skin in a very particular way, and she felt a very specific type of chair supporting her. Even in her dreams, she couldn't escape her meetings.

Mal could practically feel her brain dribbling out of her ears as she slumped into her chair, bored out of her mind, listening to Chad Charming drone on and on and on. She couldn't even hear what he was saying - she could only hear the sound of his voice. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't hear him. The table she was sitting at was surrounded by countless other people whose faces her brain had blurred out from sheer boredom. The air tasted like rot. She could feel people's attentions slipping away, one by one, until something took her hand.

She turned and met Ben's eyes. he was squeezing her hand and staring at her with a still gaze. Then, the corner of his mouth crooked up and he shook his head. "We're done," He announced.

Chad stopped abruptly, and people woke up a little as Ben pushed his chair back, got to his feet, and took her hand to help guide her out of her chair. "We're done," He repeated.

"Done?" Chad frowned. "The meeting still has twenty minutes."

"I know," Ben nodded. "But you misunderstand. We're done." He waved a finger back and forth between himself and Mal, and reached up to take the crown off his head. With a thud, he dropped it on the table. "My dad can have that back."

Ben turned and put an arm around her shoulders, leading her away from the table. "Let's run away," He told her, not bothering to keep his voice down as others around the room stood up, raising their voices to call out: "Your Majesty! Wait!" Their protests seemed dim and unimportant as Ben squeezed her shoulders a little. "I'll buy you a small house in the middle of nowhere, where you can do magic and keep away from the public. We can set up a studio where you can paint to your heart's content, and I'll never have to leave home again."

Mal felt her heartbeat picking up in excitement as they exited the room. Already, she could see it. Somewhere like the cottage that Evie had first set up Evie's Four Hearts in, or someplace equally secluded and special. "What about Auradon?" Mal asked, feeling like she was floating as Ben took her down the hall and straight to the elevators. "Who'll be king?"

"I abdicated," Ben announced. "Dad's got the country now. Maybe he'll turn the country into a republic and the rulers can elect who they want to be king. We'll retire and spend the rest of our days together, never having to go anywhere or do anything."

"They'll never get anything done." Mal laughed, leaning forward to push the button on the elevators and then reaching down to pull off her shoes.

"Not my problem." Ben scoffed. He picked at her outfit. "Let's go to our room, and you can get your Isle clothes on. I'm sick of all this official stuff."

"Me too!" Mal laughed, dropping her head back as the doors opened in front of them. They stepped inside and Ben moved his arm from around her shoulders to around her waist. His hand squeezed her hip in a way that honestly made her want to sing.

"Mhm," Ben exhaled. He released her and then stepped towards her until their chests were touching and kissed her in a way that made her eyes want to roll into the back of her head. "We deserve this," He whispered. "We'll grow old together and never have anyone else who needs our looking after. And I'll be all you need. No more dignitaries and ball gowns and heels. You can spend your days running free through our home and our land, spray paint whatever you think needs to be marked, and the nights we'll spend doing fun things together." He wrapped his arms around her and began to pepper her face with kisses. She closed her eyes as his lips landed near her eyes, brushing her eyelashes.

"Where?" She asked with a smile. Fuzzy lights danced behind her eyes. Ben grimaced.

"Well, you know I like our bed, but if you want to do outside or in the shower, I can compromise." He shrugged.

Mal giggled. "I meant the house, silly," She corrected him. "Where? I want a place with a shorter winter so I can spend more time outside."

"You like DunBroch, don't you? They have short winters," Ben suggested, putting his hands back on her hips. The doors slid open, and they stepped outside, heading towards their bedroom to quickly change.

"And horrible rainy seasons," Mal sighed. Ben began fishing for the room key in his pocket. "Arendelle's weather is like, half-winter. What's New Orleans like?"

Ben let out a laugh. "You don't want to go there." He shook his head and thought for a second. A broad smile spread across his face. "I have just the place for you!" He announced, procuring the key and then pushing it into the lock.

"Where?" Mal asked, but she had to wait a second as Ben opened the door and began to unbutton his suit as he walked to where his t-shirts and casual wear was. She, too, began to hunt down something darker and edgier and more herself. Ben tossed his suit onto the floor, which made her giggle, and shut the door with his foot before taking off his shirt and flipping his outfit.

"The Summerlands," He proclaimed when he finished changing into blue jeans and a yellow and blue striped shirt. The royal crest was still on his chest, but hey, he had been raised royalty. She herself was now sporting one of her old dragon outfits, which made her feel like she was going back to the Isle. "They're still mostly unpopulated – almost no one lives there. It's warm, and flowers grow year-round. I could have a cottage commissioned with a bedroom, a bathroom, a kitchen and a living room, a studio, and maybe a place for your friends to come to stay from time to time."

"That sounds wonderful," Mal sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck and leaning into his shoulder. She inhaled his cologne and smiled as he fumbled the knob behind him. The door opened, but neither of them moved. A little sense of despair fell over Mal. "I wish we could actually do that." She whispered.

"Why can't we?" He asked, resting a hand in the small of her back.

"Because," She looked at him carefully. "You don't run from responsibility. You were raised to rule Auradon, and if you don't do that, you'll feel guilty and unfulfilled." She tapped his nose. "I know you will." She whispered.

Ben grumbled in agreement. "I'm sorry," He sighed, dropping his hands to his sides and looking dejected at the floor. "You know I want to give you the world, right?"

"The world is overrated." Mal chuckled. "So long as I get to be with you, I'm okay." Though she looked at their open bedroom door sadly and thought about how nice it would be to walk through that door and away from his politics and job and mess together.

Ben wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. "You'll always have me." He whispered. "Until the day you or I die, I'm never leaving you."

"And I'll stay with you." Mal murmured, running her hands along his shoulders. "Whatever you need from me, I'll do it."

Ben put his hands on her shoulders in a violent, jarring motion that completely broke the moment, and shook her hard. "I need you to not leave me." His voice came through in an urgent tone. "Don't you dare leave me, Mal."

Mal blinked in shock. Was that an order? What? He'd never demanded something so absurd of her before. But abruptly, she felt herself falling through the floor and then she couldn't feel his hands on her shoulders and the vision of him in front of her was fading. "Don't leave me, Mal. Don't die on me," He begged through the darkness.

"I won't leave," She promised. "I'll die the day you die, and not a day sooner."

There was no response. Only a muffled mumble of a conversation by people she had never heard before, and some heavy breathing. She tried to curl her fingers and found her body was just... gone. Everything was gone.

Then, through the darkness, there was praying.

"Dear God, if you're out there if you can hear me, don't let her die," Ben begged with a hushed tone. She looked all around, but there was no sign of anyone. "I still need her. I'll do absolutely anything. Please, don't let her go. Please don't take her."

She listened to the sound of breathing and got the impression that the dream was coming to an end. Things continued on in a dizzying haze, but nothing could stop the churning in her stomach or the tiny pain that was pulsing in her torso.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. On the fifth beep, her eyes snapped open. For several seconds, all she saw was grey. Then slowly, lines appeared, defining everything. She realized she was staring at a ceiling. A heart monitor was calling shots for her, watching her vitals carefully.

She tried to roll over, but her arm stuck fast. She examined her bindings and realized that half a dozen IV's were stuck into her arm. She carefully rolled back over, and it was around this time she realized she was very sore. Every muscle in her body – even the ones she hadn't moved yet – was aching. Her back was itchy and uncomfortable.

Mal was lying in a bed, connected to dozens of machines in a corner of a room that was about the size of her closet or of the general amount of space one needed to park a car. The walls were beige, and the carpet was a horse brown with, fittingly, dark horseshoe patterns. A few dried daisies sat in a vase on a very low windowsill, and a long row of chairs extended around the room on two walls. Sat in one of these chairs was someone she immediately recognized, staring at her with soft eyes as he watched her take in her surroundings.

"Ben," She whispered, trying to sit up. She winced. That obviously wasn't a good thing to try.

"You're awake," He murmured, standing up and stepping towards her. He fiddled with the buttons on her hospital bed, and the bed began to sit up on its own accord. He lowered her legs and then adjusted the seat pressure for her to the setting he knew she would want it on. "Don't move too much. You just went through almost eighteen hours of surgery."

"Eighteen hours?" Mal gasped, staring at him incredulously.

Ben nodded. "Well, they had to stitch you up where the knife went through," He shrugged. "And… not everything is the same."

Mal curled her hand around her stomach and swallowed. "Is it… is it gone then? Officially?"

Ben nodded and brushed a hand onto her shoulder. "It's gone," He confirmed. "They removed it, but I didn't see anything. They just told me it was gone and out of you."

"Boy or girl?" Mal asked.

Ben shook his head. "You never know this early on" He told her.

Mal blinked at him and brushed her bangs out of her face. "How long was I out?" She mumbled.

Ben blinked slowly down at her. "Don't you want me to start with what they weren't able to save?" He asked.

Mal stared at him. What they weren't able to save? She pressed her free, non-IV'd hand to her belly. "Did they… Did I lose…" She stared at him in growing horror.

"Lose what?" Ben asked with a furrowed brow, getting on his knees and taking her hand. "And hey, don't prod too much. You're healing, remember?"

"Did you approve a hysterectomy?" Mal demanded, growing a bit frantic. If she couldn't have any more children, then what would happen to her marriage? Before, when she'd had her spat over children, she hadn't been married. Now she was married and coronated, and if she had to say goodbye to Ben after all that, then-

Ben's face fell as he realized her worries. "No," He shook his head. "You were… damaged but they didn't need to remove it. They did take out one of your ovaries. Here, let me show you what happened." He reached forward and removed the covers from around her chest, folding them down and across her lap. She was wearing a large white shirt, she realized. She picked at it a little and frowned. Ben lifted up her hemline and Mal covered her mouth at what she saw. No wonder she hurt so much.

Her entire body was black and purple, with eerie shades of green tinging around some areas. Stitches held her skin together where the knife had gone in and where they had opened her up for surgery. Mal twisted carefully and reached behind her, trying to feel where the stitches were on her back. Ben stopped her. "They're there," He promised. He helped her lean a little and then carefully ran his fingertips along the area to demonstrate the location. Mal squeezed her eyes shut as pain flooded her head.

She relaxed back into the mattress and Ben gestured to the stitches. "That's obviously where the knife went in," He hummed. "And when she twisted it, she did a lot of damage. That's a lot of blunt trauma. Your ascending colon was jacked up, and she shredded through some of your small intestines. We managed to fix the problem of sepsis okay. Your colon will be fine, and as for your intestine you'll have to be careful what you eat for the next month, but both those organs will eventually work as if they were never hurt. Just don't overdo it."

Ben cleared his throat and carefully laid his fingertips on her stomach. She winced, but his touch was so light she didn't mind it all that much. "A bunch of your back muscle was shredded. Not so much your stomach because people generally have fat there and yours helped save your abs, but your back muscles were… really bad." He exhaled. "They managed to almost completely put everything back together. It's just going to be a long recovery process involving lots and lots of physical therapy. The problem is your nerves. Your L3, L4, and L5 lumbar spinal cords were all hurt." Ben let out another painful exhale and took his hand back.

"Don't those never heal?" Mal asked.

Ben nodded. "Almost never," He affirmed and swallowed. "You, um, won't ever recover from that."

Mal stared at him for a few seconds and then exhaled. "Will I walk?" She whispered.

"You'll walk," Ben nodded. "But not for far distances. Physical therapy can help with that too. You'll… probably not run for a very long time, if ever."

Mal closed her eyes in pain. She imagined leaning on Ben drunkenly, running ahead of him in the gardens, sliding on the banisters to get down the stairs quicker. No more. "Okay," She nodded, looking up again. "Okay."

Ben put his hand down on top of hers and pinched his lips together. He swallowed and met her eyes. "We've already arranged for a wheelchair for you," He admitted.

Mal's eyes grew wide. "No," She told him firmly. "No. I'm not going to use it."

"Yes, you are," Ben told her, just as firm. "Or, at least for the first few weeks. I don't want you walking up and down any steps or even out of the hospital." He picked up her hand and squeezed it carefully between his two. "Let me take care of you, at least until your back is healed."

Mal looked away bitterly. "I'll think about it," She grumbled, though she knew she'd end up giving in eventually. "Isn't there a magical anything that can help with this?" She asked.

Ben shrugged. "I don't know," He whispered. "And, speaking of Magic…" He narrowed his eyes at her. "You used your magic when Uma attacked you, didn't you?"

Mal frowned at his dismayed attitude. "Yes, why is that a problem?" She frowned. "I was being attacked."

Ben let out a sigh. He pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head. "Listen, I know you were upset about being pregnant, but that's really no reason to endanger yourself at all. That was… reckless."

Mal furrowed her brow. "What?" She asked, absolutely baffled.

Ben looked up at her with a raised eyebrow. "Magic. When you're pregnant," He prodded. Mal blinked at him with a blank expression, and Ben's mouth fell open. "Your magic doesn't work right when you're pregnant. At all. If you use it, you can seriously hurt yourself. Women have ended up paralyzed."

Mal's mouth fell open. She'd had no idea. She moved her arm carefully and examined her hands. "I-I think I'm okay" Then she looked at him. "How did you know I'd used it?" She asked.

Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and found something on it. He turned it around to show her. It was her back, as taken by one of the doctors. She could see the beginnings of the stab wound in the bottom right-hand side of the screen, and up on her shoulder blades were two dragon markings. Mal raised her free hand up to her shoulder in shock. "Are they still-" She began, gasping a little in shock.

"They're still there," Ben nodded, looking much more relaxed. "Like tattoos. And you've actually got two unresponsive areas right above them that they tested. Here, let me show you." He carefully slipped a hand behind her back and traced his fingertips up to her shoulder blade. As he neared the top, the feeling disappeared completely. She couldn't feel his fingertips.

Mal covered her mouth in shock. Unresponsive. She'd killed an area of her body. Ben let his hand rest on her shoulder for a few seconds, then cleared his throat. "You didn't know, though?"

"I had no idea," Mal shook her hand. "I tried to use it, and I got my fists to light on fire, but then they burned me, and I couldn't control it, so I stopped."

"I thought you were hoping it might hurt the baby," Ben mumbled, running his hands through his hair. "It doesn't, by the way. For future reference, you can perform all the magic you want, and you will die quicker than the baby will."

"I wasn't going to kill the baby. I thought we agreed on that," Mal frowned. She wrapped her one free arm around her midsection.

"Well, I thought that too," Ben sighed. "But that was before you were chugging alcohol at every event even knowing it wasn't safe for them."

Mal furrowed her brow. "I was just trying to prove I wasn't pregnant to your family and prove to myself that I could still do the things I liked to do."

Ben scoffed. "You barely get drunk off alcohol anyways. If you'd wanted to get drunk, you could have waited till we got home, and you know I would have kissed you till you couldn't see straight. You could have knocked out like a light the easy way, and never known the difference. And forgive me for not believing that bit about fooling everyone that you weren't pregnant. That first night you started throwing up alone, you grabbed at least four cans. Now, I don't know how many of those you actually ended up drinking, but that's about four too many to convince my parents that you're not pregnant. You could have always played the stressed sick card instead of chugging the cans." He fixed her with a frigid look. Mal wilted.

"Yeah, you're right," She admitted, looking away. "I'm sorry."

"You're not," He rolled his eyes.

"No, I am," She insisted. "I'm sorry I went behind your back and reacted so horribly, and I'm sorry for not communicating as well as I should have." She reached over the side of the bed and patted his hand. "Can you forgive me?"

Ben exhaled, leaned over, and squeezed her hand before he kissed her quickly. "Next time," He whispered against her cheek, "We won't be like we are now."

Mal nodded. She felt her stomach, tried to feel some remorse for the little life that had ended so quickly, and honestly couldn't find it in her. All she could feel was relief. "I'll be more ready next time," She whispered. Then she swallowed and cleared her throat. "Is the kingdom… mad?"

"I'm on probation by order of the courts," Ben sighed, putting his head in his hands. "But… only as a formality. I'll have a few restrictions for a month or two, and then everything will be back to normal."

"Why?" Mal gasped. "Don't they understand… the accident was Uma's fault!"

"But I got a girl I wasn't officially married to pregnant," Ben shrugged. "I actually… showed Anna our official marriage license to prove we married long before we said we were, and she lessened the sentence on the reason of confidential business, but she had to uphold part of it since you weren't coronated at the time, and that was the problem in the first place." He ran a hand down his face. "And as far as Uma goes… she and Harry are in prison awaiting trial for official treason against the crown. At most, they're facing a death sentence, and at least fifty years in prison each."

Mal swallowed. "Which are you going to push for?" She asked.

Ben shrugged. "I'm not allowed. Part of my probation insisted that I hand over any matters regarding you to the courts to uphold and sort out. And anyway, if I ask for their executions, I'll look biased. If I don't, they'll get off too easy and I'm worried it'll pave the way for future problems."

"Let the courts handle it," Mal shook her head. "It'll all be okay." She swallowed. "But… if anything else happens while you're on probation…?"

Ben nodded. "We're going to have to pray for the best of luck with your public image for the next few months," He whispered. "I've been forbidden to meddle."

Mal nodded. "What else are we forbidden to do?" She asked, lying back and closing her eyes.

"The usual," Ben laughed. "No rough or raucous behavior while you're healing, neither of us are allowed to leave the palace except under specific circumstances, things of that nature." He sighed and shook his head before he hesitated. "The doctors told me to make sure to tell you it's not safe for you to get pregnant for at least another eight months, though waiting a year would be better."

"I'm fine with those numbers," Mal smirked. Ben rolled his eyes and dragged a thumb down her cheek. She watched him stare at her. "Does my face look as bad as my chest?" She asked.

Ben shook his head. "No, and you reminded me that I forgot to tell you that you broke two ribs."

"Harry," Mal nodded. Ben dragged the tip of his finger around her earlobe. "Am I bruised anywhere else?"

Again, Ben shook his head in the negative. "True Love's Kiss healed most of your small things. It's just the big, permanent and semi-permanent things it didn't. And Evie came in to clean off all your makeup, so, yeah."

"Where is everyone now?" Mal asked.

"Outside, luckily," Ben stood up. "They slip in and out, but always come back to wait on you. There's just… a lot of us and new palace rules dictate I can't be alone with them unless there are two guards around me, so they decided to wait outside, and I would bring them news if you woke up."

"That rule for me too?" Mal asked.

"That rule is because of you," Ben corrected with a smile. "No one except other members of the royal family can be alone with us now. It's going to be a lot harder to find alone time." He leaned forward and rolled her shirt down before he brought the covers back up just a little. "Want me to go get everyone?" He whispered.

Mal reached up and rested her fingers underneath his chin for several seconds. Ben drew nearer to her, and their mouths brushed each other's. "Yes," She whispered. "You can go get them."

Ben nodded. He walked towards the doorway and opened it. Mal heard the safety features clicking off on the guard's guns outside. "She's awake," Ben called down the hall. "You can come in now. She asked for you."

He reappeared, and almost tripped over a bag of work stuff he must have brought from the palace. Two guards followed him in, at attention, and then slowly, everyone else made their way into the room. Mal raised her hand a little. "Hey, guys." She whispered.

"How're you feeling?" Jay asked, leaning over the hospital bed and extending a hand for her to fist bump.

"Exhausted," Mal frowned. "But… relieved." She let her hand fall around her midsection.

Jane swallowed. "Are you… sad about it?" She asked.

Mal shook her head. "It wasn't the right time," She decided, looking up at Ben, who nodded encouragingly without meeting her eyes. "I was actually really, really scared" She sniffled. "And, in a twisted way, I'm glad this happened because now I'm safe."

"But your stomach," Doug whispered. "There's so much damage… aren't you worried at all how hard it'll be next time?"

Mal glanced back up at Ben and shook her head. "I'm not worried," She assured them. "In fact, I have a really good feeling about the future." She let out a sigh of relief. "I'm sorry for not telling you guys."

"Did no one know?" Adam asked, rubbing Belle's shoulders as she stood, observing Mal with a sad smile.

"Evie did. She argued until I broke," Mal chuckled. "But I forbid her from telling anyone."

Carlos took Jane's hand and let out an exhale. "How far were you?" Jane asked.

Mal looked at Ben, who rolled his eyes. "She was coming up on two months," He informed the room. "I'm sure you all noticed her alcoholism problems."

Adam nodded. "I knew something was amiss," He mumbled.

Lonnie set her hand on the base of the bed. "Mal, what exactly happened on the balcony? Why were you up there?"

Mal picked at the scratchy grey hospital blanket that covered her legs. "I… was about to have a panic attack. Because of the baby. I've been… seeing therapists and taking medicine because I just couldn't deal with the stress and…" Her eyes filled with tears. "So Ben walked out to get my anxiety relief for me, and I walked up the stairs because I thought I'd be alone."

"It was your medicine, then?" Jay asked. He elbowed Lonnie. "I told you he lied to the cameras. You owe me." Lonnie sighed and rolled her eyes.

"And Uma was up there?" Carlos asked Mal, prompting her to continue.

Mal nodded. "I drank my champagne because I wasn't feeling well, and I knew it'd make me throw up. And as I was throwing up, she actually came and brushed my hair out of my face and made me think it was Evie. She attacked me and then Harry and Gil appeared, and I managed to hold my own until Gil swept my feet away, and then they punched and kicked me a lot until they threw me into the railing. The rest is history." She hesitated and examined her friends. "Was it bad? Is everyone traumatized?"

"You can see the knife go through you on live footage," Doug informed her. "And the announcer who was saying the whole thing… he's kind of screaming in the background about everything. It's not as scary as being there in real life was, though."

"When the knife went through you," Jay started slowly, "Your body gave this horrible sort of lurch, and I thought you'd died right there."

"It didn't hurt" Mal confided. "It just felt really, really warm." She held out a hand to squeeze his. "I'm okay now" She promised and hesitated. "Did they… say at all what killed the baby? Was it the knife?"

"You already know it was," Ben hummed. He put his hand on her shoulder. "But next time, we'll be careful. Next time, everything will work out."

"I'm sorry for scaring you all," She whispered. "I really did my best to fight back, but she twisted my ankles by stomping on them before I could get them away. After that, I couldn't keep up with the three of them."

"Don't be sorry," Ben shook his head. "I'm sorry that I wasn't there. You just be proud that you managed to fend off the three of them as long as you did. It was freaking glorious. And in that dress and shoes, too."

All of her friends nodded along to his words, and Mal stared at them. "Is there… footage?" She asked.

"There is," Carlos nodded. "A balcony view. We can see everything from you jumping over them up to Harry and Gil grabbing your ankles and hands. You were spectacular. You've still got the Isle touch, Mal."

"Or, at least, I did," Mal hummed, wrapped her arm back around her waist. "I want to see the footage, please."

"Later," Ben patted her hand. "For now, just rest. You'll have to stay here for a while longer."

"Will you go back to the palace?" Mal asked. "Well, you probably have to, right?"

"No," Ben shook his head. "I've been here ever since you came in and I can stay as long as I want. Or, at least until January the sixth."

The date buzzed around Mal's head for a few seconds. "We missed our plane," She realized in a hollow tone. Ben nodded sympathetically. She swallowed. "How… many days has it been?"

"You were out for thirty-two hours after your surgeries," Ben whispered. "Just over fifty hours in all."

"This is the third day?" Mal gasped. Ben nodded in silence. She slumped back into her pillows and swallowed. "Wow," She whispered. "And you've just… been here?"

Ben nodded and shrugged offhandedly. "It's not as impressive as you're thinking," He rolled his eyes. "People have been bringing me small assignments from the palace – busy work – and the first day was just a lot of the doctors asking me for paperwork and permission to do different medical techniques."

Mal nodded, and closed her eyes, letting out a breath. A thrumming pain, like someone strumming a guitar chord or a small heartbeat against her back, had begun. She grit her teeth and forced her poker face. "Okay," She nodded. "Okay."

The door to the room opened and the guards readied their weapons. "Just me, gentlemen," A doctor with a smooth, deep voice and pepper-black hair grumbled as he rounded the corner. "Goodness, there's a lot of people here. Sorry, I'm here to disconnect a few IV's now that she's awake, and King Ben, we have more things for you and Queen Mal to decide."

Mal almost choked. Oh, right, she was a queen now. That was going to take some getting used to.

Ben sighed irritably as the doctor handed him a clipboard and pushed Mal's bed off the wall a bit. He took her arm and slid one, two, three needles out of it, one by one and taking great care. Immediately, Mal felt more wakeful, hungry, and very, very hurt. "Oh, God!" She hissed, wrapping her free arm around the edge of the bed and squeezing her eyes shut as stabbing pains began pulsing around her body, even in areas like her fingertips and toes, which weren't hurt. Everyone took a step back as she let out a swear word that Belle flinched at, and then she bit her tongue while the doctor went to a cupboard and pulled out a syringe that was apparently waiting for her.

"You'll be in pain, well, for a while. Your husband made the decision to let you come up by yourself and then begin easing you off of stuff. He said you wouldn't want to stay down as long as we want you to, but that does mean we can't chalk you up with all the painkillers we wanted to because then you'd be unconscious."

Mal nodded in understanding and directed a semi-grateful look to Ben. She could deal with pain. Pain was manageable.

The doctor moved past everyone and flicked the needle a few times before wiping it and her arm off with an antiseptic wipe. Now that it was close to her, it suddenly seemed a lot bigger and scarier. He procured a black strap from under the table and wrapped it around her arm carefully. Mal's hands were trembling as she stared at the needle. "No!" She demanded, inching away as he began to search for the vein in her arm. "No, I don't want that in me!"

"It's a painkiller," The doctor furrowed his brow. "Now that we've taken you off the sedatives, you need to have it, otherwise the pain will be too much for you to handle."

"I can handle the pain," Mal decided, staring at the needle. "Don't – no!" She ripped her arm out of the doctor's hands and tried to unfasten the strap without the use of her disabled arm.

"Mal," Ben stepped forward. "It's a painkiller. You need it. Look, you're already in pain and it'll only get worse as those other drugs move out of your system."

"No!" Mal shrunk away. "No! No… knives."

"It's not a knife," Ben argued, though his eyes had softened. Mal pushed her head back into the pillow in frustration. Her brain was screaming at the rest of her body, telling it to get away from the long, silver object, and it was only her own force of will keeping her in one place. Ben stepped up beside the doctor and took her face, trying to tear her eyes away from the doctor. "It's not a knife," He promised. "It's going to help you. You've just got to stick through it for a few seconds."

"I can't," Mal hissed. "My brain… my head isn't working!"

Ben pinched his lips together. Behind him, Jane looked very green. "I-I'm going to step out," She mumbled. Belle, Lonnie, Jay, Evie, and Doug all followed her to the door, making the room considerably colder. With this change of temperature, Mal realized that she'd broken out into a sweat and she was breathing heavy, staring past Ben's shoulder at the long, silver object in the doctor's hands.

"Lean the table back," Ben told the doctor, keeping a firm hold on Mal's face. He put the needle down on the bed beside Mal, and her legs gave a spastic jerk.

"Away… away… away," She sputtered. Ben pulled her head up to tear her gaze away from the needle, and as the bed continued flattening out, pressed a kiss onto her lips.

Oh, god, the pain relief. She almost sighed in relief as her eyes closed. Her head calmed down, stabilized, and she considered the needle beside her without much thought. After several seconds, she couldn't even feel the shooting pains in her back. Then, the foggy feeling clouded her brain and her breathing became sloppy and she knew she wouldn't be able to see straight if she had her eyes open. A swaying feeling, like she was on a boat, overtook her as her thoughts disintegrated into meaningless sounds and a muted jumble in the back of her mind.

Someone took her arm. She could feel Ben swaying heavily above her. His hands left her face as someone else took her elbow, presumably to stabilize himself. Mal continued spiraling into a drunken state, nearing the point of passing out. She barely noticed when something pricked her arm because the pain was gone in an instant anyways.

Ben released her and promptly collapsed against the wall with his eyes spinning in his head. Mal couldn't focus for several seconds as her head lolled on her shoulders. The doctor removed the strap from her arm. They leaned the table up again, and her first thought was: "Where did Ben go?"

"Wait, I want him back," She slurred, looking around to see if she could see him. "Why's he hid?"

The doctor hid a smile as he cleaned the needle off and put it in a disposable bag. "I love patients who are True Love's," He sighed happily. "It always makes things easier."

"Hey, hey," Mal called for him, nearly unintelligible as she almost bit off her own tongue trying to speak. "Where'd he go? I want him back."

The doctor patted her arm. "You did very well," He told her, trying to keep from laughing out loud. "Do you want a sticker or a sucker?"

"I'm gonna make you a sucker if I don't get him back," Mal threatened, trying to sit up and almost dropping her head into her knees. The doctor and Adam both rushed forward to press her back into the sheets.

"Careful," The doctor frowned. "You'll pull your stitches," He patted her hand. "Just calm down and sit tight. Ben's recovering from sedating you."

Mal let out a tortured groan. "Ben's always seducing me," She complained, letting her numbed arm flop off the bed. She smacked right into Ben, who let out a noise of protest. Carlos burst into laughter and began to walk for the door, presumably to go relate to all their friends what he'd just witnessed. Mal, meanwhile, felt along Ben's shoulder until she found his head. "That's you," She grumbled. "Stand up."

"No," He declined, batting at her hand a little. "My head is pounding now, and I still have to finish paperwork."

Mal let out another groan and closed her eyes. "Fine!" She growled in a huffy tone. "I'm going to sleep without you, then." She turned her head away from the sound of his voice. The doctor chuckled as he bid them farewell and walked out of the room. The two guards followed, as now only royal family members were in the room.

"There's only one spot!" Ben protested as Mal started to fade in and out of consciousness. Adam held out a hand to help him up and their shadows fell over the bed. "Stubborn girl," He muttered. "What was the point of taking her off the stuff if she's just going to go back to sleep?"

"Just let her be," Adam whispered. "You did good. That was fast acting. She barely noticed." There was a long hesitation. "Did you tell her about everything?"

"Everything." Ben nodded. "She took it well, but she was still on medicine. I might have to explain things again later." He stepped towards her and dragged a thumb down her cheek. "Sleep well, Mal. It may be a long time till you can do it again."

* * *

Mal laid on her stomach in her and Ben's room, squeezing the headboard with white knuckles and grinding her teeth together. Another random stab of pain shooting up her spine forced her to squeeze her eyes shut as she slammed her face into the pillow underneath her chest.

Two months. You'd think this would still be painful after two weeks, but two months and four additional surgeries and sixty-seven total hours of various therapies to this. Her fingers going numb, her toes curling up, and her back in flat-out agony.

The door to the room opened, and Mal almost cursed. "Evie's here with some things for you, and-" Ben cut himself off as he glimpsed her, sprawled out on their bed and not turning to look at him at all. "Did you skip your dosage again?" He asked, tossing his tie and coat onto the table in the center of the room and rushing over to her.

"No," Mal grumbled in response, but Ben was already checking the bottles beside her bed to see which ones had been moved.

"Liar," He declared, pulling nine separate bottles out from among the rest. He began to hurriedly uncap them as Mal pressed her face deeper into the pillow.

"I don't want them!" She protested. "I'm fine!"

"I'm not listening to you," Ben snapped, curling his lip in disappointment. "Come on, Mal, you know better."

"I don't want the stupid pain treatments!" Mal exclaimed, squeezing the headboard tighter. "I can go without them."

"You can't!" Ben exploded, gesturing at her frame incredulously. "You can't function! You can't move!" He sat down on the nightstand, counting dosages like he was her doctor instead of just her overseer. "Listen, I know you have this thing where you want to prove: 'nothing has changed', 'I'm not an Auradon girl and I don't need to rest', and 'I'm going to be my own miracle', and you can't, Mal." He continued grumbling as he leaned down and pulled her head up off the pillow. "Open," He commanded.

"I _don't_ want them," Mal grit her teeth.

"You have permanent nerve damage," Ben snapped. "So shut up and take your stupid pain medicine."

Mal grit her teeth. She carefully unwretched her hands and took the pills from Ben. Her entire body shook as she carefully held the colorful tablets to her mouth, wincing as she swallowed them. Then she buried her face back in the pillow as stabbing pains continued racing up and down her spine. It would take a few minutes for the medicine to start to kick in. Ben went to shut the door and then wandered back over to her. He carefully took the hem of her shirt and dragged it up to examine the heavy bandages completely wrapped around her torso.

"How long have you been lying here?" Ben asked.

"Since my last meeting," Mal mumbled into the pillow. "I don't think I have anything for a few hours."

"Well, Evie is downstairs right now," Ben sighed. "I'll text mom and have her entertain Evie for a few minutes while you recover."

Mal made an incoherent sound of agreement. Ben rolled his eyes and began to run his fingertips up and down the bandages on her back laterally. She bit her lip and focused on the light touch. Ben traced light patterns across the white bindings as he pulled out his phone and sent a message to Belle. Then, he glanced through Mal's schedule. "You actually have therapy tonight," He told her. "And a meeting via phone call at five-fifteen."

Mal nodded and slowly began to loosen her fingertips as the stabbing pains began to lessen. "What kind of therapy?" She whispered.

"An hour of physical and an hour with your family counselor," Ben sighed. He shut his phone off with a shake of his head. He began to comb his fingers through Mal's hair. "Sweetheart, you can't keep doing this to yourself. How are you going to get better if you can't move? The pain relief is there so you can keep moving around – getting stronger."

"I'm plenty strong," Mal growled. "I just want to be better already. How long does it take muscles to heal anyways?"

"Mal," Ben exhaled, and crouched down beside the side of the bed, shaking his head. "You will never, ever be able to move without pain. I'm sorry, love, but for the rest of your life, there's always going to be pain there. Nerves don't heal, Mal."

Mal squeezed her eyes shut and turned away from his voice. The pain had faded substantially. "Can you get me some water, please?" She whispered.

Ben sighed and got up. He took a glass from the nightstand and walked into the bathroom. She heard the sound of running water and carefully got to her elbows. Her back screamed in protest, but she kept going, slowly pulling herself up and then pushing her feet off the bed. She made her way to the mirror, stumbling every step, and collapsed on a chair that had been dragged there from the table. There, she pulled up her shirt more than it already was and tugged down the corner to see the color of her skin. It was pasty blue and purple. She tried to stretch her arms above her head, and the skin pulled.

Ben paused in the bathroom door holding a glass of semi-cold water. She put her arms down and stared at him. "They look a little better, actually," He whispered.

Mal shook her head. "I see no difference," She mumbled and began to work her shirt back down under the bandages. She bent down and began rubbing her knee. The tender muscles were still stiff, even after two months of casual exercise and physical therapy.

Ben pulled his phone out of his pocket and walked over to her. He helped her up, re-exposed her torso, and peeled the edge of the bandages down. Then, he showed her his phone screen. On it was a picture of her in a sports bra and leggings before she'd come home from the hospital. The bruising still stretched all the way up her sides and across every inch of skin surrounding her stomach, but now there were only faint pink marks across her ribcage and most of the blues and purples remained hidden under miles of bandages. Mal let out a hum of acceptance.

"Now that," Ben laughed, "Is progress." He put his phone away and put his hands on her ribcage. "Soon enough, you and I will be able to start doing fun things again."

Mal wrinkled her nose. "I honestly don't know how you can think of me like that when I look like this," She sighed.

"It's easy. I turn my gaze on you, and suddenly I'm turned on," Ben laughed, kissing her cheek. "God, you're beautiful." He moved a hand behind her and began running it up and down her spine in a comforting manner. Mal snorted and patted his hand on her ribcage.

"I want you too," She sighed. "I miss… us. I wish I'd enjoyed it even more than I did in the moment."

Ben made a sound of agreement in the back of his throat and then squeezed her hand. "You're amazing," He whispered.

Mal hummed, indifferent to his compliment, and tugged her shirt down. She glanced at her wheelchair, which had a purple seat, and sighed irritably. "I really, really don't want to take that down," She sighed.

"You're not strong enough to walk very far without it," Ben reminded her with a frown.

"Can I lean on you?" Mal asked.

Ben nodded after a brief hesitation and slipped his arm around her shoulders. She wrapped hers around his back and together they began to walk downstairs. Two guards were waiting to escort them into the proper room. Evie was with Belle in the library, showing off ultrasound pictures that, to be honest, still made Mal a bit queasy. However, the long months of therapy weren't leaving her without hope. She could look at Evie, smile, and was actually happy for her best friend, which helped their relationship a lot. One day it'd be her, and she would be ready for it. Just not right now.

"Hey!" Mal gasped, stumbling a little as she unwrapped her arm from Ben's. Evie and Belle both turned, and Evie's mouth dropped open.

"Oh my goodness, are you walking?" Evie gasped, standing up from where she'd been sitting on the couch and hurrying over to give Mal a big hug.

"I'm leaning." Mal gasped. "Oh – I think I need to sit down now." She carefully took a few steps forward, grabbed the back of the couch, and used it to guide herself onto the cushions. Her back ached in protest. As she shifted a little to try and stretch it out, Ben stepped forward and began running his hands up and down the area that had snapped when she'd fallen.

"That's incredible," Evie commended her. "And it's only been two months!"

Mal shrugged and nodded as she caught her breath. "How's the baby, Evie?" She asked.

Evie's face broke into a bright smile as she wrapped her arms around her bump. "I have to show you something," She gasped dramatically. She leaned down and picked up one of the ultrasound photos from off the couch. Evie held it in front of Mal's face as Mal examined, from a careful distance, the black and white picture. "We found out the gender," Evie explained.

"I bet it's a girl," Mal pinched her lips together. "It is, isn't it?"

Evie's smile, if possible, grew brighter. "A girl," She confirmed. "A beautiful little girl."

"I hope she gets your blue hair," Mal hummed. She closed her eyes as Ben began rubbing little circles on her spine. "If she doesn't, we'll have to send her back and ask for a refund."

Ben laughed. "She's Evie's daughter," He reminded Mal. "Even if she doesn't get the colorful hair gene, she's bound to be an absolute doll."

Mal nodded and chuckled in agreement before a frown passed over her face. She took a deep breath. "Are you going to try and tell your mom?" She asked.

Evie hesitated and swallowed. "Doug and I… talked about it," She sighed.

"So… no?" Mal prodded.

Evie shook her head. "No. At least not until she's actually born," She rubbed a hand over her belly, looking a bit sad.

Mal cleared her throat. "Well, I think that's a good idea. Anyways, Ben told me you had some things for me?"

"Yes!" Evie got to her feet and beckoned Ben to follow her. "I'll be right back with them." She and he turned and headed back to the hallway, leaving Mal alone with Belle. She sighed and leaned back into the couch, pushing the ultrasound pictures away with the tip of her fingers and closing her eyes as her chest constricted.

"You took a while," Belle hummed. "Was everything alright?"

"Everything is peachy," Mal sighed. "Ben and I just got to talking – that's all."

Belle hummed and leaned her head back. "He takes good care of you," She whispered.

Mal nodded in agreement and then heard a sound from the hallway. She turned and watched Evie and Ben carry in an array of clothes heaped over their arms. They dropped everything on the couch, and Evie turned to Mal with a breath. "Happy late birthday," She announced. "I fixed all your old clothes that you didn't wear much anymore so that you can get dressed by yourself, without Ben's help in the mornings." She held up a black leather jacket, whose collar had been edited to be long enough that she didn't have to close it all the way up for it to cover her entirely. She only had to do the fastenings up to her ribcage. In her other hand, Evie held up a shirt with a clever array of elastics that she could put on without having to raise her hands above her shoulders. Ben couldn't stop a smile from rising as he picked up a pair of jeans whose waistline had been fixed and added to, to keep from poking on top of her stitches.

Mal raised her hands to cover her mouth. "Oh, my goodness!" She exclaimed. "You did all this? There must be one hundred outfits there!"

"Only twenty, actually," Evie shrugged. "But hopefully it'll help you in your quest to become independent."

"This is amazing!" Mal exclaimed, trying to struggle to her feet. "How long did this take you?"

"Well, where do you think I've been the last few weeks?" Evie laughed. "It was a lot easier to focus on though, since you don't exactly need any more massive gowns for a while."

"No kidding," Mal laughed. Ben hooked a hand under her elbow to support her as she leaned forward and brushed the top layer of the outfits. "I'm the luckiest person in the whole world." She sighed. "Greatest best friend ever, loving husband, fabulous in-laws…" She shook her head. "God, I don't know how to thank you enough, Evie." She used her free arm to hug Evie tightly. "Thank you so, so much."

"Anytime," Evie smiled. "And, also, I hoped it would help me apologize? I have a lot to be sorry for. After you came back… I realized you were right. You knew what was best for you the whole time, and I should have been a more supportive friend." Evie wrung her hands and watched Mal's eyes for any hint of anger or animosity.

"It must have been hard," Mal sighed. "I mean… we were at very different ends. You were looking forward to welcoming a new family member, and I had waited so long to start my life with Ben that I really didn't like the idea of that adventure." She chewed her lip in thought. "I'm sorry I hurt you."

"I shouldn't have let myself be hurt," Evie shook her head. "What you did with your body and in your relationship really wasn't any of my business."

Mal stuck out her hand. "Truce?" She asked.

Evie wrapped her arms around Mal's shoulders. "Truce," She declared. Mal buried her face in Evie's shoulder with a wide smile and felt like it might be possible to return things to the way they'd been before.

* * *

Mal snapped her binder closed as she carefully pushed her chair out. Two princes of Arendelle were at her sides to help her stand up, and a guard was standing at attention to help her back to her room when she finished bidding farewell to the members of the royal court.

"Feeling well?" Chad asked, leaning across the length of the table to shake her hand.

"As well as I can be," Mal shrugged, wincing as she straightened out her leg and tried without success to move her back. "We're calling in a chiropractor to examine my back and make sure it's still aligned next week."

"Are you in pain right now?" He asked, furrowing his brow together.

Mal straightened up. "Not particularly," She lied. Really, her back muscles felt like they'd been fed through a sausage grinder still, but she wasn't about to let that show in front of the court members.

Mal's phone buzzed. She glanced down and skimmed the screen. A message from the royal guards read: "Guests from Auradon City Hospital have arrived; Times, are you available to meet with them?"

It wasn't exactly often the guards reached out through messages rather than alerts. And when it was, there were, for once, more rules for them than there were for the royal family. They were only allowed to message all members of the family at once – never on an individual basis. They weren't allowed to describe the royal family or use their names, weren't allowed to send them to any location, even in the palace, and weren't allowed to add any flourishes to their messages. 'Times' was her codename, based on translating her name from a different language. 'Fair' was Belle, 'Just', was Adam, and 'Follow' was Ben.

Mal slid the text to respond and typed: "Did they request me?"

"Queen Mal- whoa!" Mal's head snapped up as Princess Anna tripped over the leg of a chair and crashed at her feet. She yelped and narrowly managed to avoid falling over as the hap-hazard princess got to her feet, blushing. "I'm sorry!" Anna chorused, "Are you hurt? I-I mean, did I hurt you again? Or more?"

"Oh, no," Mal took a deep breath. "I'm fine. What did you need, Anna?"

Anna took a deep breath and held up two large, sealed envelopes. One was blue, and the other yellow. "These are for Ben," She gasped. "Sorry, I thought he'd be here and didn't realize you were covering this meeting. Can you pass them on?"

"Of course," Mal nodded, taking them and examining them carefully before slipping them into her binder. She shook Anna's hand and then glanced back down at her phone. 'Yes', a new message read, 'are you available?"

Mal sighed inwardly. 'Send them to my office. I'll meet them there.'

Her phone buzzed with a message from Ben. "I'm doing office time now," He told her. "Can I hang out in your office in case you need any help?"

"You're not going to focus," She rolled her eyes. "But go ahead. You'll just have to play catch-up later."

She picked up her binder and inclined her head to Chad, who was looking at her concernedly. "Sorry, I was just scheduled for an immediate walk-in meeting," She told him. "I have to leave now. Thank you for your concern."

She walked carefully to the door, stumbling with every step. Her left knee – the one that had been busted – didn't exactly extend perfectly yet, though she was improving. The crowd parted with inclined heads as she made it to the door and laid a hand on her guard's shoulder for balance. She took a few deep breaths, and then cleared her throat. "Change of plans," She told him. "I have people waiting for me in my office. Can you still escort me there?"

He nodded and offered her his arm without a word. Mal took it carefully and walked beside him to the elevators to get onto the next floor down, where her office was. He helped her to the door of her office and waited as she unlocked it. Now that she was coronated, her doors all had to be locked when she was out-of-office.

"Ben will be joining me," Mal told her guard as she stepped into the room, put her stuff on her desk, and turned on the lights. "We're expecting guests from the Auradon City Hospital."

"You will require another guard," He reminded her, to which she nodded sadly as she took a seat. Hopefully Ben brought one of his own, so she didn't have to send for another.

Five minutes later, her husband appeared in the door, holding a small tower of finance books, notices for upcoming events, and other unopened letters. He kissed her cheek as he stepped inside, and three guards took garrison along with her one outside.

"Wow, you brought a cavalry," Mal laughed.

"No, I brought you another guard," Ben rolled his eyes. "You're supposed to be as equally protected as I am. The kingdom rests on us equally, now."

Mal rolled her eyes and began pulling out her patient files that were always kept on hand in her desk now that she had medical people in the palace for her on a regular basis. "Do you know why the hospital people are coming up?" She asked Ben.

"I didn't summon them, if that's what you're asking," Ben shrugged. "They did mention coming up to check on how you were healing a few weeks ago, but I'm not sure on anything."

"That's probably it," Mal nodded. She briefly considered texting the palace guards to find out how many she should be expecting, then decided she would be finding out in a few short minutes.

"Princess Anna gave me two letters for you," Mal recalled suddenly, flipping open her binder and finding them sitting on top of a stack of things to do. She picked them up and handed them to Ben, who squinted at them inquisitively.

"Do you have a letter opener?" He asked, patting his pockets as if he expected to find something there.

"I do," Mal confirmed, reaching towards the top drawer of her desk. Before she could open it, someone cleared their throat outside the door. Ben immediately got to his feet and held out a hand to help Mal to hers. Three men, two of whom Mal recognized, stood outside the door, all dressed in similar white garb. The first person she recognized as "Dr. Pepper", with the black and white hair, from the hospital. He'd been the person who'd first diagnosed her with PTSD and had been more than happy to let Ben drug her to the point of oblivion. She wasn't exactly thrilled to see him again.

The second person she recognized was the man who would have been her obstetrician had she not been stabbed and almost died. The third person was a man she did not know.

"Gentlemen," Ben inclined his head.

Mal waved them into the room. "Come in, come in," She invited. Two guards, one from Ben's duo and one from Mal's, stepped into the room behind them and shut the door. As soon as the knob clicked, Mal let go of Ben's hand and took a seat. "Find a place to sit. You all should know Ben, my husband, he asked to sit in here and work while I spoke with you, but I have a feeling he'll be doing his fair share of nagging as well." The three doctors laughed as they took seats along the south wall. Mal closed her binder from her meeting and folded her fingers together. "How can I help you, gentlemen?" She asked.

"We've come to evaluate your wounds and give you some long-term diagnoses based on what's changed," The new doctor spoke. He had a small, square face with large eyes and a circular nose. "I'm Doctor Brown, and you should know Dr. Holt-" He gestured to Mal's hospital doctor, "-And Dr. Horsley." He gestured to the man who had confirmed Mal's first pregnancy.

Ben met Mal's eyes with an: "I told you so," look and opened a binder, setting the two letters from Anna at the bottom of his stack.

"Right now?" Mal asked. "In my office?"

"If you don't mind," The doctor shrugged. "We need to see the wounds around your torso specifically, though I understand you have some back and knee problems."

"My bet is those won't go away," Dr. Holt yawned. "She won't walk right for a long, long time."

Mal curled her lip. "I walk just fine now," She huffed.

"But with a limp, I presume?" Dr. Holt asked. Mal turned away her face.

"Okay," She agreed after a few long seconds. "Do you need my patient files?"

"Yes, madam," Dr. Brown nodded, casting a sideways smile to his companions. "And then, if you could lean forward or stand, so we can remove the bandages?"

Ben dug his fingers into his knees as he watched Mal withdraw her general patient statement that the palace now updated every week, and then set it on her desk. She slowly pushed herself up using the desk and began to roll up her shirt so they could access the white wrappings.

Doctor Horsley and Doctor Holt stepped around the desk. Doctor Horsley helped her continue standing as Doctor Holt began to unwrap the white synthetic coverings that Ben had helped her wrap around herself that morning. Mal winced as the familiar scent of ointments and pus wafted around her. Slowly, the coverings loosened, and then pulled away completely. Doctor Horsley helped her sit back down on the edge of her chair and examined her body with a deep frown. Doctor Holt, meanwhile, walked away to examine her back and nodded in approval.

"No sign of infection," He announced. "And the skin above her… 16th vertebrae isn't bruised over anymore. Just red. Those muscles that were shredded by the knife twisting are swollen and still very, very bruised, but they're healing nicely."

"I can see from here that the initial entry point of the knife still hasn't closed entirely," Doctor Brown nodded with a furrowed brow.

"It's healing," Doctor Holt shrugged. He walked around to examine her front and put his hand on her ribcage, prodding lightly. A stab of pain ran through her chest. He glanced up. "Does that hurt?" He asked.

"No," Mal denied, balling her fists up a little. Dr. Holt rolled his eyes.

"That's her way of saying: 'yes, but I'm not going to admit it.'" Dr. Holt explained to the newcomer; Doctor Brown. He laughed. Mal's mouth pinched together in indignation.

Dr. Horsley continued furrowing his brow, stroking his chin as he examined her bruising. "That's a lot of scar tissue," He hummed. "Even those surgery wounds… you'll have those till you die."

"She still looks beautiful," Ben mumbled as he scribbled through something in one of his books. His eyes flicked up to run over Mal's torso, and then he looked back to his work.

Doctor Brown walked back around and began to examine Mal's back. Carefully, he ran his finger down the knife's exit point and shook his head. "You're very lucky," He commended her. "Very, very lucky."

"I don't feel lucky," Mal grumbled, picking at her waistband a little as it started digging into her exposed wounds.

"Oh, no, you're lucky," Doctor Holt laughed. "The situation… the placement… the fact you received immediate magical healing…" He shook his head. "Anyone else, and I mean anyone else, from five to one-hundred, male or female, bodybuilder or severe alcoholic, anyone else who took a knife where you did and then dropped twenty feet and _didn't_ have their freaking True Love in the room twenty feet away would have died almost immediately on scene."

"And if they'd lived…" Doctor Brown shook his head. "Well, assuming they didn't die of hypovolemic shock, any spinal damage from a fall of that height might have resulted in becoming brain-dead, the shock may have brought on cardiac arrest, You're already past the effects of the sepsis that would have occurred. You wouldn't have been able to sit up in the hospital if your back hadn't been healed after that fall, and your knee would still be recovering from now until the… well, rest of your life. That's too much time without use, so your leg muscles would have withered away, and you'd never have walked again without therapy."

Mal's mouth dropped open. But then Doctor Holt continued. "And if the knife had gone an inch in any other direction, you might have needed a colostomy bag. You're lucky you can still use the restroom the normal way."

Mal swallowed. "So, what have I for sure lost in life?" She asked.

The doctors exchanged careful looks. Doctor Holt finally shrugged. "The fact you haven't needed to call the hospital means your insides are probably okay. You can always schedule an X-ray to check, but it looks like you've mostly got that under control." He bent down and put his hands on her knee, rubbing around the joint a little bit. "Does that hurt at all?" He asked her.

"It… tingles," Mal shrugged. Little tickles raced up her leg.

Doctor Holt shook his head. "Lucky girl," He whispered and straightened up. "You might walk normally for short periods of time in a couple of months. As you get older, you may find that the limp will return, and you may need a cane in your later years of life."

"Don't corrective surgeries exist?" Ben asked, clicking the top of his pen several times as he watched Doctor Brown continued examining Mal's back.

"They do," Doctor Brown answered for Doctor Holt. "But I wouldn't focus on that for several years. If she wants one years after all this is healed, then fabulous, but we want to keep her off of an operating table while the rest of her heals." He ran a finger down Mal's spine lightly. "I'm not a back doctor, but everything seems to be in line. Can you move your back at all?"

"I can sway," Mal answered, proving her point by leaning from side to side. "But I can't rotate around."

"That'd be the nerve damage," Doctor Brown nodded. "Don't expect to be whipping around to throw punches ever again." He clasped his hands together. "I don't think you'll ever run. Stairs will forever be your enemy. Dancing, jumping, climbing, doubtful. You'll forever have pain problems in your side, there will be good and bad days, and this intensive scarring, but overall you will recover." He shook his head. "It's a bloody miracle, but you will recover."

Mal furrowed her brow and bit her cheek. She would run, one day. She would jump. She would climb. She would fight.

Doctor Holt nodded. "I agree with that," He nodded, still shaking his head. "By this time next year, the bruising will have faded. Maybe a few sparse marks will remain, but the worst is definitely behind you."

"A year?" Mal frowned incredulously. Doctors Holt and Brown nodded simultaneously and then turned to look at their last companion, Doctor Horsley, who was still looking bitter as he examined her. He picked up the patient file she'd set down, looked back down at her, and let out a deep, heartbroken sigh.

"You know I am primarily an obstetrician," He began. "While you may walk and stand and live almost normally again, my main concern is for when the time comes you and Ben need to have children together." He pressed his fingertips to his brow. "This is… not going to be fun."

"Is she able to?" Ben frowned, finally closing his binder. "They only did a partial surgery, so shouldn't she-"

"Oh, she'll still be able to get pregnant," Doctor Horsley nodded. "Probably not as easily, though every woman is different. Fertility treatments are, of course, always an option. But you forget, your majesty, which nerves were damaged, and where they lay in proximity to the uterus." He turned Mal's chair towards Ben and made a gesture to the area between her ribcage and hip bones. "The baby, as it grows, will be in near-constant contact with those damaged nerves. Unless something changes, by month three or four of any gestation from here on out, she will be in intense pain."

Ben's shoulders slumped. Sweat broke out down Mal's neck. "What of the birth process?" She whispered.

"Oh, excruciating," Doctor Horsley shook his head. "I can't think of any combination of painkillers that would subdue the pain without knocking her out. A cesarean section may be recommended, but even then, the moment her pains start, she will be in excruciating pain. You will probably find that she will not be able to be moved. And if the pain gets too bad or lasts too long, there may be brain damage."

Ben's mouth dropped open in shock. Mal clenched her fists in a quiet panic. "What can we do to make it… easier?" She whispered. Ben's eyes skimmed her face. They both knew she was panicking.

"Not a whole lot more than what you're doing now," Doctor Horsley shook his head. "Therapy, take it easy, keep up your painkillers and anti-inflammatories….there's prenatal everything, you might find something like yoga helpful…" He trailed off and then continued. "Frequent doctor visits, no stress, and lots and lots of prayer."

Mal swallowed.

Ben closed his eyes and looked away, wincing. His posture and everything about him screamed: guilt. Mal ducked her head and nodded slowly. "Can you help me rewrap the bandages?" She whispered.

Doctor Holt nodded and held up the white rolls, which he had wound as they'd undone them the first time. Doctor Brown helped keep Mal's arms aloft as they carefully began to cover up the ugly wounds once again. Mal watched them disappear underneath the soft white, but she could still see them imprinted behind her eyes.

They replaced her shirt after the wrappings were secure around her frame and Doctor Holt patted her shoulder. "Any sarcastic comments before we go?" He asked.

"I thought you came to talk to the queen, not her evil twin," Mal replied glumly. The doctors, despite the terse tone in the room, laughed. Mal felt an involuntary twinge at her mouth as she got to her feet. Ben stood up as well. "Thank you for coming up," She whispered, shaking each other their hands without meeting their eyes.

Ben opened the door and exchanged handshakes as the men stepped out of the room. "Have a good drive back," He whispered. "Can you find the way back by yourselves? I can have someone follow you down."

"Oh, no," Doctor Brown replied. "Have a nice day. Please, call if she has any problems."

"Wait, actually, I do have a question!" Mal remembered suddenly. "Am I allowed to do things and go places again? Or am I still not allowed to overdo things?"

"Well, you shouldn't overdo things," Doctor Holt frowned, pausing in the hall alongside his companions. "But I don't really see a reason you have to stay in the palace. I'd say I'd leave it up to you, but we all know how far you can push yourself." He patted Ben on the shoulder. "We'll leave it up to Ben. That way it's his head, not ours."

Mal burst into laughter as Ben sent an offended glance over his shoulder. Her chest immediately rejected the action, but she laughed as Doctor Holt waved, and the soldiers cleared out of the room behind him. The door shut.

Mal immediately slumped back into her chair and winced as she pulled the skin on her back at an odd angle underneath her bandages. Ben put his stuff down on the chair he'd been sitting on and walked behind the chair to rub her shoulders comfortingly. "Lots of good news," He whispered.

"And lots of bad news too," Mal grumbled, covering her face with her hands. She concentrated on Ben's hands beside her collarbone and internally winced every time he skimmed the dead areas that she had no feeling in. "What are we going to do?" She asked.

Ben made a guttural sound in the back of his throat. "Do?" He asked.

"What's our plan?" Mal asked.

Ben let out a sigh. "Wait," He whispered.

"Wait," Mal agreed. He let her go and she leaned forward, inch-by-inch, onto her desk. Ben returned to his stack and retrieved the two letters she'd handed him earlier. He opened her desk and procured a purple-tinted letter opener, and quickly slit the tops of the two to open them up. He pulled out the yellow paper first.

"I'm off probation," He announced, skimming the contents of the letter. Mal turned her head to the side and shooting pain ran up and down her spine.

"Really?" She asked, sitting up.

"Yeah," Ben nodded. He pulled out the second paper, out of the blue envelope, and began to skim that one. Almost immediately, his face darkened.

"Let me guess," Mal sighed. "You're being summoned to some sort of hearing. Or you're in trouble for, I don't know… putting your fork on the wrong side of your plate."

"Harry and Uma are being executed," Ben corrected her. Mal's mouth dropped open.

"For real?" She whispered.

Ben cleared his throat and began to read aloud. "For crimes of treason, attempted assassination, attack of Royal Auradonian guards and Auradon citizens – that'd be Jay, Carlos, Lonnie, and Doug – Uma, daughter of Ursula, and Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, are sentenced to death by… firing squad." He put the paper down and swallowed.

"Firing squad," Mal repeated. "I honestly didn't think the court would do an execution."

"There's a first time for everything," Ben hummed. "Treason is technically a death punishment. It has been since Auradon was first formed. We've just never had anything reach that stance before."

"You've never done an execution?" Mal stared at him.

Ben shook his head. "It's an extreme sentence," He explained. "We've never felt the need. But, really, they deserve it."

Mal swallowed and tapped her fingertips on her desk. "What's the classification?" She asked.

Ben glanced at the bottom of the document. "Secret," He announced, then paused. "Is that right?" He whispered.

"They're going to execute Harry and Uma and not tell the public?" Mal whispered.

"Apparently…" Ben frowned, rustling the papers around to find the official statement. "Yeah. It's secret. They're relabeling the case as General Information in three weeks." He examined the letter. "Harry and Uma are being executed in…" he took a breath. "Two days."

"Two days?" Mal sat up, mouth dropping open. They were going to execute Uma and Harry and then tell the public afterward? Ben shrugged and replaced the papers back in the envelope.

"I guess they want to hurry it," Ben sighed.

"No kidding," Mal grumbled. She tapped her fingertips on the table and sighed. "When do you think we can be together again?" She asked.

Ben stared at her with his mouth open slightly. "Is that seriously why you asked the doctors what you could do now?" He deadpanned.

Mal frowned. "What's wrong with that?" She demanded. "I want you."

Ben twiddled his thumbs together and stared at her. "Aren't you afraid?" He whispered.

"Yes, I'm afraid," Mal bit her lip as Ben shoved his hands down, deep into his pockets. "But I'm not even allowed to – are you shaking?"

She pushed herself up, feeling her spine twist in agony, and held a hand up to his cheek. He turned and looked away. "Hey. It's going to be okay."

"I am so sorry," He whispered, running a finger under his eyes to wipe tears out of his ears.

"It's not your fault," Mal whispered back, running her fingertips down to his jaw. "It isn't – I promise."

"It is my fault," Ben shook his head and pulled his head away. "Every bad thing in your life is because of me, one way or another."

"That's just not true," Mal shook her head. But Ben continued, balling his fists up in his pockets as he spoke.

"If I hadn't been King, then there wouldn't be any meetings or dignitaries or stupid rules that keep you from running away and from leaving the palace. You'd never have had to put up with the media and then I could have proposed to you without the drama. On top of that, you'd never have been stabbed at that stupid, stupid party." Ben squeezed his eyes shut in real, palpable pain. "All this pain you're going through now, everything in the last eight years… everything would be different if I wasn't king."

Ben got off the desk, picked up one of his thick books, and considered it for several seconds. Then he raised it above his head and slammed it to the floor in a fit of sudden rage. The spine split as it hit the floor, dividing the book evenly into two.

"If I hadn't gotten you pregnant, though, it wouldn't have mattered. You had a miserable month of December where you were suffering literal panic attacks, you couldn't even enjoy being coronated and becoming, arguably, the most important person in Auradon, and because you were pregnant you couldn't even use your magic to defend yourself. Essentially, I set you up to be executed, and then, like a fool, I left you alone."

"There is no way you could have known that would happen," Mal sighed. "It was a bad situation. It wasn't your fault."

"You deserve a better true love," Ben concluded. "Someone whose work doesn't literally change your entire life and relationship, who has more time to spend with you. Someone who doesn't completely shut off at the idea of you having an abortion."

"Me getting pregnant was something we did together," Mal snapped. "It takes two to tango, Ben. I make decisions with you, Ben, not because of you. I chose to be queen and to stick around and I chose to work for the courts and I did what I needed to do. And who's to say you don't deserve someone who's not as clingy, who already knows about politics, whose mom isn't literally the mistress and embodiment of all evil!"

She used a hand on her desk to help guide herself back and around the desk, taking careful steps to him and grabbing onto his coat for balance. Every step felt like she was walking through a hailstorm of baseball-sized ice pieces. Ben took her elbow to help her balance as Mal huffed. "I take you as you are, with the stupid crown and your idiotic rules and your horrendous sense of responsibility, and you take me even though I'm reckless and I hate children, and I'm really one of the worst people to put on a throne. We make those choices together, and nothing you say will convince me otherwise."

Mal leaned up to try and kiss him, but Ben flinched back and turned his head away. "No," he told her. "I… don't deserve you. I don't deserve for you to take this pain away."

"Ben," Mal whispered.

He kept facing away from her for several seconds, and then Mal brushed his jawline with her knuckles and pulled his chin back to her. She leaned up and kissed him. He leaned into her, and when they disconnected, he let out a sigh.

Ben drew his thumb down her cheek in a cool, soothing motion. "You're incredible," He whispered. "I don't deserve you."

"No, you definitely deserve better," Mal hummed, leaning her head on his chest. "But I'm sure glad you're letting me stick around anyway."

Ben hugged her, careful of her back, as Mal leaned into his touch. She ran her fingers up and down his back and ignored the growing discomfort of her own frame. Some of the medications were wearing off.

Ben's phone buzzed, and across the room so did Mal's. He pulled his out of his pocket and held it at an angle as he skimmed the screen. Mal read the text alongside him. Chances were it was on her phone anyways.

"Follow, did you forget something?" A message from the palace guards read. Ben squinted at the text in confusion, and then his mouth fell away into shock.

"Oh! I have a meeting! It starts in-" he glanced at his watch. "Ten minutes ago. Shoot! I have to go!" He picked up the book and his binders and leaned forward to kiss her cheek. "Bye, I love you, I'll see you later," He promised, and then twisted the knob of the door. His two guards appeared as he waved, and then disappeared from view, leaving the door swinging open behind him. Mal picked up her phone and some work and stumbled to the door. Her guards exchanged glances and watched in concern as she fumbled the light off and hastily locked her door.

"I need to go up to my room," Mal gasped, squeezing her eyes shut as pain began to mess with her head. "Now, please."


	7. Chapter 7

Harry and Uma were executed, cremated, and then their ashes were spread in the ocean. Ben and Mal were not permitted to see it at all. For several weeks, all was peaceful, and then the proceedings were released to the public.

On the first day of the proceedings being released, palace approval rates dropped lower than ever before in Ben's reign. People were shocked to learn that, for the first time in Auradon history, an execution had taken place.

"This is the beginning of a dark age for Auradon," Mal heard a reporter announce as she paused in the doorway of Ben's office.

Ben was sitting at his desk, watching his computer screen, tight-lipped with rage. Mal heard the fuzzy sound of someone calling in. "My biggest thing is how the first execution was on behalf of the queen. I mean, really, are we just going to execute anyone who crosses her?"

"She was stabbed," Another reporter interjected. "By all means, the palace is within their rights to execute them. Assassination attempts are a form of treason. For me, the issue is not that the execution occurred, it's that the palace did not release those details until now, despite the execution occurring on the eighth of February. It makes me feel like the palace was trying to cover it up."

The caller made a few sounds of agreement and then continued: "Well, I totally get what you're saying, but I still feel like the execution mainly happened because it's Mal. King Ben-"

"Of course it's because it involves Queen Mal," The second reporter interjected. "That's part of the definition of an Assassination. It wouldn't be treason if they hadn't attempted to kill the reigning Queen of-"

"Mal," Ben flipped off the screen and exhaled. "Sorry, I didn't realize you were there." He stood up and went to help her inside.

"They're blaming us?" Mal asked. "We didn't have anything to do with it. You were on probation – how would you have known?"

"I couldn't have," Ben furrowed his brow. "But they still think I pulled strings to have them executed." He guided her to a chair and helped her sit down. "I'll… do something about it later." He slumped into a chair beside her and ran a hand over his face. "I wonder if the courts will say anything on it." He grumbled.

"They should! We're the ones taking their fall for them!" Mal frowned. A sudden stab of pain ran through her back and made her wince.

"Shh," Ben hushed her, running his fingers up and down her spine carefully. "Your back still hurting?"

"Yeah," Mal grumbled, leaning forward and rubbing her knee as he carefully rubbed his fingers soothingly around the wound. "But what else is new? Nervous damage – yay!"

"Kiss?" Ben asked, watching her rub the heels of her palms into her knee. The joint was getting better, and the more she worked with it, the easier it got to move. Mal hummed and then turned to steal a quick peck. Then she straightened back up and leaned against his side.

"I wish True Love's Kiss really could heal everything," She mumbled. Ben nodded in agreement and kissed the top of her head.

"I have something for you," He whispered, and stood up. "Evie sent it to the palace."

He picked something up off his desk and brought it back to her. It was in a sealed envelope, though he'd already opened it, and addressed to 'Ben and Mal'.

Mal slid the paper inside out. It was an invitation to Evie and Doug's home for a baby shower. Mal's stomach turned a little as she skimmed the details. "She's due in two months," She gasped. "That's… insane."

"You okay?" Ben frowned, leaning against his desk and watching her turn colors from a distance. Mal shook her head a little.

"It feels like yesterday I was crying because I thought I'd ruined everything with you, and she was telling me she was having a baby," Mal mumbled. "I am… not ready for my best friend to be a mom."

"It's not you," Ben pointed out. "Does it still disgust you?"

"A little," Mal admitted, not meeting his eyes. "I can't look straight at… her. God, she looks like a balloon. A fashionable balloon, but…"

Ben nodded sadly as he watched her shudder like she had a bad taste in her mouth. Mal watched him as his eyes traced her legs and her spine. She cleared her throat. "I never asked you something," She began. "Our baby… that I lost… what do you think of how it all ended?"

Ben's eyes flew downcast, and he let out a heavy sigh. He didn't say anything for about a minute. Mal began to fidget and twist her fingers.

"I'm mixed," He mumbled finally. "Mostly, I was worried about you. You were so upset and worried, and I didn't want you to feel sad. And yeah, Auradon weighed on my mind a lot, because any child of mine is going to be their future leader, but I was just so, so worried with how self-destructive you suddenly were. I felt helpless because I couldn't help you."

"But you still couldn't stand an abortion?" Mal asked. Ben shuddered and twisted his eyes closed.

"God, those disgust me," He hissed. "No, I couldn't. That has honestly always been a worry in the back of my head – that my future wife would end up doing one of those. I can't stand them, but it's not like I can say anything bad about them without people coming and screaming at me for being against their body rights." He grumbled and hid his face in his hands. "Can I be honest with you?" He asked.

"Of course," Mal confirmed, putting her hands on the sides of the chair and trying to struggle to her feet.

Ben waved her back down. "Don't get up," He requested and took a deep breath. "Honestly, for a few minutes, every so often, I was excited. Worried for Auradon, yes. Terrified for your sanity and safety, absolutely. But it was so, so amazing to know that you were pregnant because of me, and I couldn't wait to see what our kids would look like, and I was excited to meet them."

Mal's shoulders slumped as guilt filled her. "You want a large family?" She asked. She'd guessed five on their way to be married, but...

"I have a large family," Ben shrugged. "I'm the king of an entire nation." He put his hands in his pockets and stood up. "I'm basically the father of lots and lots of angsty teenagers."

Mal chuckled. He wasn't quite wrong. "How many kids did you want, growing up?" She asked. She wondered if it had been different over time.

"Is this something your therapist told you to do?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "You don't usually ask about this."

Mal shook her head, and Ben nodded as he accepted that. "More than you've ever wanted," He admitted. "I always thought I'd have four or five."

Mal expected herself to cough or choke a little at that fact. Instead, the guilt only settled in deeper. She exhaled. "Can I compromise with at least two and then see if I can handle more?" She asked.

Ben's face twisted in pain and he turned away. "I don't want you to have any, now," He sighed. "Everything the doctors have been saying… I'm too afraid to even touch you because I don't want to put you through that."

Mal's mouth fell open a little. "But… Auradon," She began, taking a deep breath,

"I know," Ben cut her off. "I know. It's inevitable. Non-negotiable. The kingdom has to have an heir – that's just the way a monarchy works."

"I think I can handle one or maybe two," Mal considered, biting her lip. "I mean, I have all the doctors and then there's medicine and maybe… maybe someone like Fairy Godmother could use magic to help me even more."

Ben exhaled, staring away from her and towards the door. "We'll figure it out and make a plan of some sort. But not now. You've still got bandages and a limp and all your other things. If we're going to do this, we're going to make sure you're as safe as possible. The longer we wait now, the better off you'll be."

The intercom on Ben's desk beeped. "Sir, I have representatives from the Knights for Freedom group here requesting an audience with you?"

Ben's shoulders slumped in absolute disgust. He sighed and pressed the receiver button down on his com. "Right, fine. You can send them up. Can you have them escorted? I don't currently have any guards up here, and I can't meet with them until I do."

"Yes, I can do that, and if I'm reading the map right, then Queen Mal should also be in the room with you? Please remind her she needs to have her paperwork for Corona's Royal Wedding completed by next Thursday, and you need to clear use of the Cathedral, _again,_" Debra sighed in exasperation.

"Got it," Ben confirmed, and let Debra go. He glanced up at Mal. "You probably don't want to be here when they get up. They're quite brutal."

"You've met with them before?" Mal asked. "Aren't they the people who were angry when you proposed to me?"

"One of them," Ben rolled his eyes. "And yes, I've met with them before. That meeting ended in me throwing them out of my office when one of them started calling you all sorts of names, so we'll see how well this one goes." He went to Mal and helped her up, out of her chair. She straightened up carefully and then he walked her to the door.

"Your limp is going away," He mumbled. "That's amazing."

"I was able to rotate my waist the other day," Mal confided with a smile. "It was the day after the chiropractor came, and then during therapy, they helped me rotate around. It hurt, but it was also, like, a milestone."

"That's awesome," Ben smiled, kissing her forehead and tangling their fingers together.

"Soon, this will all be a bad dream," Mal hummed. Ben pinched his lips together.

He ran a hand down her hairline and hummed. "You're always going to live with some effects," He reminded her. "Don't be too heavy on yourself."

Mal's smile twisted into a frown. She ducked away from his hand. "Yeah, yeah, I know," She sighed. "Okay. Good luck with your meeting. I'll see you later?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "Oh, hey, is your Saturday one to six free?"

"I think so," Mal frowned, pulling out her phone. She opened the calendar and glanced through her schedule for Saturday. "I'm not scheduled for anything. Why?"

"I have an event at Auradon Prep," Ben smiled. "If you want to tag along, you could hang out with Carlos and Jane, and get out of the palace."

Mal's mouth fell open a little. She hadn't been out of the palace since she'd been released from the hospital in January. "That sounds amazing," She smiled. "I do need to have the gardeners begin bringing the gardens back to life as March is starting, but that honestly sounds lovely."

"Fabulous," Ben exclaimed. "It's a date." He held out a fist, and she tapped it with a little laugh.

"Kay, I should probably go before trouble arrives," Mal decided. "Bye."

"Bye, Mal," Ben laughed and waved as she left.

* * *

Auradon Prep was a party. It was Family day, so, not exactly the happiest memories were there, but Ben got to give a little speech to the upcoming graduates, and Jane and Carlos were in charge of the food, meaning Mal could steal as many strawberries from the dipping station as she wanted, and they wouldn't stop her.

"Are you going to be at Evie's shower?" Jane asked, rolling her eyes as Mal angled a little bowl to fill it with chocolate and followed her to a chair, dipping her strawberries as she went.

"I dunno," Mal responded before swallowing. "Ben's fighting the guards for me a little. I'll have to have an entourage if I go. And there have to be at least two protectors every single time I'm in the room with another person. I feel like having two heavily-armed men in black who stand at attention wherever I go would be a bit of a downer." She gestured to the outskirts of the party, where she and Ben's entire emergency personnel had spaced themselves out around the circumference of the area. She was pretty sure others were patrolling the grounds of the school.

"I don't honestly think Evie would mind. Especially if the alternative is her best friend missing out on her baby shower," Jane replied. She held out a hand to help Mal sink into a seat. Mal's posture slumped as she sighed a little, wrapping an arm around herself.

There were chairs laid out in long lines around a croquet field, where small children who'd tagged along with their parents for family day ran back and forth squealing happily. Dude the dog was running beneath their legs, sending toddlers tumbling to the ground before licking their faces to make them laugh.

Mal felt a loose edge of a bandage begin to poke her and straightened up so she could correct it. She peeled the hem of her shirt up, knowing that she'd make national news if anyone caught a photo of her, and pressed the adhesive strip that kept the wrappings tight against her skin down.

A small girl in a purple dress flopped down in the seat next to Mal and sighed dramatically. "Everyone here is so boring!" She declared, throwing her head over the back of the chair.

"Tell me about it," Mal laughed, straightening up and pulling her shirt back down.

"Why do you have that under your shirt?" The girl demanded in a loud, bossy tone.

"It's like a giant band-aid. It's protecting my skin because I got hurt a while ago," Mal explained as the girl's head tilted in astonishment. She had long, fly-away hair and dirt under her fingernails.

"How long ago?" The child asked, reaching over, picking up Mal's hem, and examining the bandages. "Does it go _all the way around you?_"

"Yeah," Mal laughed. "It was a few months ago, but it's still a little hurt."

"What did you do?" The girl asked incredulously.

"I got cut," Mal's smile faded a little bit. "I had a bad cut, and I had to go to the hospital, and I still have lots of doctors who have to come to see me almost every day to make sure I'll get better."

"Oh," The girl slumped back into her chair as Mal smoothed her shirt back down. "Once, my Mom cut her hand on a glass in the kitchen, and my older brother drove her to the hospital, and the doctors _sewed her hand up!_ Can you believe it? What were they thinking?"

"I had to have that too," Mal laughed. "Lots of sewing. Some of the sewings were inside of me too. And the doctors had to take a few things out of me."

The little girl's eyes grew wide. "Did they put them back?" She exclaimed.

Mal shook her head. "They didn't work anymore," She explained.

"What kind of things?" The little girl demanded.

"They weren't important things," Mal shrugged. "One of them was supposed to help me have a baby one day, and the others were just parts of other things that will grow back." Jane put a hand on Mal's arm.

"Trinity!" A woman exclaimed in an exasperated tone, rushing over. "Your majesty, I'm so sorry, I hope she didn't-"

"Mommy, show her your hand," Trinity demanded as her mom helped her down off the chair. "She was cut just like you! Except with her, the doctors took things out of her!"

"Trinity, shh!" Her mother begged, wincing as she tried to cover her daughter's mouth. Trinity kept blabbering though.

"She had to get stitched up too – inside of her! And the doctors, they took out something that was helping her have a baby!"

Mal's cheeks flared up as she realized, too late, her mistake. The area went quiet as everyone's heads swiveled around and they stared at the commotion. Trinity kept talking. "She said that they took out things that would grow back and something to help her have a baby! Isn't that crazy?"

"Trinity, shush," Her mother groaned, covering her face and scooping up the little girl into her arms. "Queen Mal, I am so, so sorry for her and this. I swear, she just runs off and she has no filter-"

"It's fine," Mal squeaked a little. "Just, um, yeah."

Trinity's mom turned away and took her daughter with her, who was still babbling, a little softer now, about the lady with the hurt stomach. "Her band-aid goes all the way around her, mom-" was the last thing Mal heard.

Mal buried her face in her hands. Jane let out a breath. "That was dramatic," She mumbled.

"Everyone here is going to think I'm infertile now," Mal grumbled. Jane took in a gentle hiss of air. "Just after everyone thought Ben pulled strings to get Uma executed, and everyone was speculating I was trying to kill my father-in-law, and – I'm just sick of rumors."

A weight fell into the chair Trinity had just vacated. "What just happened?" Carlos whispered.

"She was asking why I had my bandages," Mal mumbled. "God, I should have – where's Ben?" She looked around and tried to find her honey-haired husband in the crowd.

"Come on, let's go find King Beast," Carlos sighed. He and Jane helped Mal up and they began to walk back through the concessions area. As they passed through onto the school area, Ben appeared, out of breath.

"What happened?" He whispered. "I heard whispers – what happened?" He took her face as Jane and Carlos released her arms. Mal took the front of his jacket, breathing a little heavy from hurrying so quickly.

"Oh, it's fine, people just think I'm unable to get pregnant," Mal grumbled and sighed. "I was sharing what happened to me to this small girl, and she kind of started shouting things. I'm sorry."

"Oh, it's fine," Ben shrugged. "That's – people have already been talking." He kissed her cheek. "Okay, we can handle that."

"People have already been talking?" Mal gasped. Ben looped his arm through hers.

"Small, silly things," Ben shook his head. "We haven't addressed it at all."

Mal stared at him and then began to calm down. If the palace hadn't addressed it, it couldn't be that important.

"They're just words," Jane hummed. "Embarrassing words, but words all the same."

Mal nodded. Eventually, when she was ready, it would become obvious that she wasn't. It wasn't an important battle to be fighting quite yet.

* * *

Evie and Doug's new house was grey in color with blue shutters. Doug had hired a groundskeeping crew to come through, clipping the grass evenly across the lawn and trimming the thorn bushes in front of the house. Evie's flowerbeds were full of bright colors, and the shutters had been painted her signature blue. A little sign hung from her mailbox reading 'Evie and Doug' and the same sign hung from above the front door.

Mal had never seen the house before. They'd moved while she was bedridden in the palace. Ben had come down to help them move things, but she had been left behind so that she wouldn't get in the way of the people helping Evie and Doug move in.

"So… how is this going to work?" Mal sighed, looking out the limo's window at the little house. Her fingers twisted the ribbons on the present in her hand. Mal had picked out a tiny little bassinette, and Belle had wrapped it to keep Mal from ruining it.

The senior guard in the back of the car straightened up. Her entourage of ten was mostly in the back with her, and all she hoped was that they didn't expect to follow her into Evie's living room. "Your husband and the palace officiator put their heads together and determined a one-time system for this."

Mal drummed her fingers with a little sigh. "Am I going to have to stay in one room the entire time?" She asked.

"No," The guard responded. "We're posting two guards at each entrance and the rest will stand guard on the perimeters."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Are you… for real?" She asked slowly.

"Well, we have to escort you up and back," He shrugged. "And you may not leave the house, and we have to secure the entire area before you can enter."

"So… I sit out here for ten minutes, and then you escort me up, and then I'm… okay to hang out with my friends for today?" Mal clarified. She blinked slowly.

"We have to be back at the palace by four," The guard shrugged. "But yeah, that's about it."

Mal leaned back into the chair in amazement. She couldn't believe the palace was going to let her go. The car paused in the driveway and all of her guards moved towards the door. The senior guard brandished a finger at her. "But, remember, if you get shot or stabbed or bombed or anything, we're not going to let you be alone anywhere except your room at night for the next three years."

Mal snorted, but the senior officer's face didn't change. Her mouth dropped open. "You can't be serious."

"That's the deal." He held up his hands, and then followed his fellow companions out of the car. Mal watched eight guards travel up to the door and realized the last two must be in the front seat still, guarding her against any imaginary evil they could conjure up.

Two passing kids on their bikes stopped on the sidewalk to watch her armed personnel travel to the door, and one of the guards directed them not to enter in on the property. Mal wondered if everyone who came in from this point on would have to be searched. And that thought sparked the question: How many people had Evie invited that wouldn't know the expectant mother's best friend was a national figurehead?

Doug opened the door, listened to their spiel, and put his hands behind his head with a heavy sigh and a nod. He stepped aside as the guards entered the house and then Mal watched the door close behind them. She sighed and was tempted to text Evie in advance to apologize, but she knew they'd only confiscate both her and Evie's phones if she did.

Ten minutes passed, and then six guards emerged and gave the all-clear to the car. Her final two guards got out of the car, came around, and opened her door. They had to help her out since she still couldn't maneuver her back very well, and then set her on her feet. Evie and Doug were waiting by the door, shaking their heads as the guards spread out around their property, taking up guard at the front door, at the opening to the garage, and all four corners of the lawn. The two kids on their bikes shrieked. "It's the queen!" They bellowed and took off down the street. Mal let out a deep sigh, and her last two guards, the two who would take up a position in the back yard, took her up to the door.

"I'm sorry," Mal apologized, reaching forward to hug Evie. "But on the bright side, they're leaving me alone for the entire day."

"It's fine," Evie laughed. "I'm glad they let you come. Are they, um, going to search everyone else who comes? We're only waiting on one now."

"Probably?" Mal asked, glancing to her left. Her guards were nodding. She sighed. "Sorry. Everything has been crazy since I was stabbed."

"I get it," Evie nodded. "Well, you did warn me. Anyways, come on in. Everything has been searched, so you should be safe."

"Okay," Mal nodded. She turned to one of her guards. "Could you please take the limo out of the driveway and park it on the street? It's just so… big and it's kind of rude for us to take up that much space. And anyway, if anyone pulls in behind us and I have to return to the palace earlier, we'll be able to leave quicker."

The guard nodded at her reasoning. Mal stepped inside. Her two followed her, and one of the guards standing beside the door went back to move the car. Doug led the last two guards through the house, and Mal heaved a sigh of relief. "I am so, so sorry," She mumbled.

"It's fine," Evie waved her off. "Need help taking your jacket off?"

Mal frowned down at her heavy jacket. She handed Evie the wrapped present, with all the ribbons and pretty layers of paper. "That's for you," She told her and then began undoing buttons. As she got to the buttons closer to her neck and had to raise her shoulders and elbows up, her spine protested. She bit her lip and unhooked the last button before letting her arms drop. She managed to shrug off the slick leather and then turned back towards the door. A beautiful coat hanger had been screwed into the wall. It had a wrought iron shelf with decorations hanging on it. Mal grit her teeth, hung up her coat, and turned back to Evie with a little half-smile.

"You're getting there," Evie smiled. "That's pretty cool."

"Oh, yes," Mal agreed. "I can hang up a coat now."

Evie directed Mal's attention to her right. Mal took a few steps forward and peered inside. About ten other women were inside. Mal only recognized Jane, who was sitting on a couch wearing a blue sundress with a pink flower pattern, and who waved when she saw her. Everyone else looked up, still unsteady and in shock over the guards coming through and searching everything. As they saw her, mouths dropped open, and one girl let out a swear word as she ran her hands down her skirt. Someone's gum fell out of her mouth, and she hurried to pick it up with a napkin, blushing.

"Everyone, this is my best friend Mal," Evie announced. "Sorry about all the security. I wanted her to come, and it's very important she doesn't get hurt for a few months."

Mal let out a breath and let her shoulders slouch. She waved her fingers and stepped over the threshold into the room. It was very nice, with hardwood floors and a large blue rug protecting everyone's feet from the cold. A strong scent of vanilla filled the room. The walls were cream-colored, but Evie had been painting beautiful swirling patterns of gold and silver along the corners of the walls. Black leather couches and low glass side tables furnished the room, which Mal recognized from Evie and Doug's townhouse, and pictures of the core four, of Evie and Doug, and Evie and Mal and others of their achievements and good times.

"Hi," She breathed, waving to the others in the room. "I'm Mal."

Jane sat up and patted a spot on the couch beside her. "Need to sit down?" She asked. "How are you feeling?"

"Good, good," Mal nodded. "They're taking me off of another painkiller this week, so this will probably be the most I'll be able to walk for the next few weeks." She sat down beside Jane and another young woman who looked like she was about to blow up. She turned and held out a hand to the young lady. "Hi, what's your name?"

"I, uh, I'm Martha," The lady stuttered.

"Cool. Nice to meet you," Mal smiled.

"These are some of my coworkers," Evie explained with a smile. "Martha, Miranda, Lily and Sofi, and then my neighbors Chloe and Amelia. Guys, Mal is my best friend from the Isle of the Lost, and Jane and I are old school friends. And then Lonnie is on her way, but Jay had a problem at work, and she needed to help him out with that."

"Cool," Mal nodded. "What were you guys doing before I showed up?"

"Listing baby names," One of the women who had warmed up to the fact she was in a room with the queen much quicker than the others proclaimed. She held up a clear clipboard with a long list on it. "So far we love Charlie, Claire, Debbie, and Josie, though we have about twenty others."

"Charlie? That's a unisex name," Mal pointed out. She raised an eyebrow at Evie. "You'd give your daughter a unisex name?"

Evie pouted. "I thought it was cute," She frowned.

"Do you have any suggestions?" Jane asked, poking Mal in the arm.

"Isabella," Mal responded immediately. Silence reigned throughout the room, and then Evie sucked in a breath.

"Oh, that's super cute," Evie huffed. "Write that one down." Mal folded her arms smugly across her chest, ignoring the pain in her stomach. No one had to know that it had been Ben to suggest it.

"So, I know this day is all about Evie, but I have to know: what's it like being the queen of Auradon?" One of the girls leaned forward as the girl with the clipboard mumbled: "Isabella Gibson."

Each of the girls turned to Mal with an expectant eye, who rolled her eyes. "Horrible," She answered immediately. Everyone looked immensely disturbed, aside from Evie and Jane, who'd had this spiel many times before. "I have been out of the palace exactly once since coronation before this, the love of my life is never around, and I'm drowning in paperwork whilst still recovering from almost dying."

Evie chuckled lightly, but she was the only one. Mal rolled her eyes again. "Yeah, I used to want to be a queen," Evie scoffed. "But that was before Mal had to base her entire career around Ben's career and before everyone smeared her name in the tabloids."

"And before you met Doug," Mal added. "But, one day it won't be like this. One day I won't be the reigning queen and Ben won't be the reigning king. We'll grow old together, we'll travel together, and all of this will just be one big, long, bad dream."

"Who's married here?" Jane asked, raising her hand. Evie, Mal, both of Evie's neighbors, and two of her coworkers raised their hands with giggles and sly smiles. Jane hummed. "Do you guys already have kids?" She asked.

"I have two," The girl with the clipboard laughed. "A five-year-old and a three-year-old."

"I have a fifteen-month-old," The girl at Mal's side giggled.

"That's one year," Mal deadpanned. "Just say one year."

"It's young enough that there are still monthly accomplishments," Evie explained with a laugh.

Mal hummed and rolled her eyes. "I have about seven-hundred-fifty-million children, all of them angsty, rebellious teenagers who hate my guts and backtalk me whenever I try to say or do anything to help them."

The room burst into laughter, and Mal couldn't stop a smile. "Maybe one day they'll grow up and I'll get some peace," She laughed.

A sudden crash from outside drew their attention. Everyone's heads snapped to attention to see where it had come from. A groan came from outside, and Mal winced. "Lonnie," She mumbled, ducking down and sighing.

"Hi, Mal!" Someone – Lonnie – screamed from outside. "Just saying hi to your guards and I'll be in!"

The girls all burst into laughter. Doug appeared in the hall, shaking his head, and opened the door. After a long pause, Lonnie stumbled into sight. "Where's the party?" She gasped.

Doug gestured to his left. "Straight on," He laughed and nodded to the guards outside. "Thanks, guys."

Lonnie stepped into the room, looking frazzled. In her hands was a collection of teething toys and binkies. She skimmed the group, still breathing hard. Her eyes landed on Mal, and she let out a laugh. "How's the stab wound?" She laughed, handing Evie her gift and hugging her friend around the shoulders. "Congratulations, Evie," She whispered.

Lonnie took a seat in an empty chair. She made a gesture to Mal. "Can I see it yet?" She asked.

"You don't want to see it," Mal shook her head. "It's all black and purple. Even my ribs still have red marks from where the bones snapped."

Everyone winced, except for Lonnie, who only looked more interested. "I bet Ben thinks it's sexy," Lonnie declared.

The statement hit a little too close to home. Mal's face contorted, and for a few seconds, she felt irrationally hurt. Then she swallowed. "No, but that's okay. Hey, this is Evie's special day. Have you started counting down the days yet?"

The day, though it started slow, ended up fun enough. Mal won the "who knows mommy best" game, where they all guessed things about Evie and Evie's childhood(so maybe she had an unfair advantage, but whatever,) and then one of Evie's coworkers won the "Was this Mom or Dad" game. Evie had put cupcakes, punch, more candies than Mal had ever seen outside of a store, and two very lonely-looking vegetable trays in the kitchen for them to snack on. Evie was craving sweets. Mal got to know the other women a little once they warmed up to her(her slouching into the back of the couch and frequent jokes helped).

Around three, Evie stood up. "Hey, can I get you girls to help me pull something down upstairs? I can't lift anything and it's a bit high up."

"I got you," Lonnie jumped up. Evie's friend Miranda, who was very tall and lanky, also got to her feet. They walked out into the hall, following Evie, and then disappeared upstairs.

The girl who had sat next to Mal tapped her shoulder. Her name was Sofi. "I know I shouldn't keep asking you questions," she began, blushing a bit. "I mean, it's Evie's day and everything, I just don't exactly get to talk with the queen every day. So, what happened when you were hurt?"

Mal furrowed her brow. Surely everyone knew she'd been stabbed, right? If not from the explosion of news after the event itself, then from the downfall of palace approval in the wake of the executions. "Are you talking about recovery?" She asked.

"Yeah," Sofi nodded. All of the remaining people in the room focused on Mal as she pressed her fingertips to her ribcage.

"It's just… lots of doctors and painkillers. The hospital originally wanted to keep me under aesthetics for two months before they let me out, but Ben told them no, and so three days after the event they took me off the sleeping drugs, and then, later on, I went home with close to fifty varieties of supplements and painkillers and stuff," Mal explained, drumming her fingers on her ribcage.

"Why didn't Ben let them keep you longer?" Another woman, who was named Lily, asked with a frown.

"He knew I wouldn't want to stay," Mal shrugged. "Also, it gave him more time to spend helping me, because if I hadn't have gotten to the palace quick enough, he would have had to balance my workload and then there wouldn't have been time for him to see me since he'd be on eighteen-hour shifts trying to get everything done."

"Does it still hurt a ton?" Sofi asked, glancing cautiously down at Mal's ribcage.

Mal chewed on her cheek. She didn't like admitting this to people. "The, um, painkillers help. It's kind of a precarious balance because I can't overdose on painkillers and I have to be coherent enough to work, but it also has to help." She dragged a finger up her side. "I have permanent nerve damage, and my muscles are still healing. My back was shattered in my fall, but Ben healed that mostly himself with True Love's Kiss. It's just very stiff."

"That's horrible," Lily breathed. "But lucky that he was there." Mal shrugged, and then Lily asked: "Was it awful to lose your baby?"

Mal took in a little hiss of breath and Jane shifted uncomfortably. "Not… not really," She swallowed. "I was just really scared. And Ben and I had to figure out how to protect Auradon. We knew everyone would be mad at us since I hadn't been coronated and really, it was way too stressful for me to be happy with anything." She twiddled her thumbs together and took a deep breath. "The night I was stabbed, I started having a panic attack. Ben went out to the car to get me my anxiety medicine. No one else – not even the guards – knew that I'd been taking them. But that's why I left the party, and why he wasn't with me when Uma showed up."

"Why did Ben lie about that?" Jane asked, hooking her hands around her knee.

"The… medicine?" Mal asked, furrowing her brow. "He didn't want me to take the fall. He was afraid people would think I was unstable. So even though he's the ruler by right of inheritance, and he's not supposed to be taking anything without a doctor's order and supervision, he still let it be printed so people wouldn't go off on me. And he got into trouble for it, but it did work as far as keeping people from exploding."

Lily wrinkled her nose. "Do you guys do that a lot?" She asked.

"Not really," Mal shook her head. "But Ben already knew people would be upset at me for being pregnant, and then the fact I had been stabbed, and so he decided to take that burden rather than add to the press's fuel, and honestly, it was barely noticed since everything was so centered on me."

"What was waking up after everything like?" Amelia, who was one of Evie's neighbors, asked. "I remember – and this isn't nearly as extreme a case – when my husband had surgery on his appendix he was disorientated afterward."

"I wasn't, but I don't normally get loopy. I was pretty coherent." Mal put her hands on her belly. "Ben was the only person in the room when I woke up, and he came and knelt by my bed and he told me about the surgeries and how long I'd been out, and that we'd lost the baby, which we'd both kind of already known." She exhaled. "I remember at first I started freaking out because I was worried, they'd taken out… that they'd done a hysterectomy. I mean, I didn't want to have to lose Ben after all that. But it all worked out, and so my marriage was unharmed."

"What?" Lily blinked, looking disgusted.

"She has to be able to have a baby to be queen," Jane supplied. "The crown and courts would make Ben file a divorce if she couldn't."

Sofi covered her mouth in shock as Mal nodded along glumly to Jane's statement. "They would… that's awful."

The lights flicked off. Everyone looked up and glanced to the doorway, where Lonnie was standing, holding a very heavy book and smiling wickedly. Evie held a black light and stood at her side, with Miranda standing beside them, drumming her fingers in excitement.

"New activity," Evie announced, bringing the light over and setting it on her coffee table. Lonnie took the book over, put it down on the table, and opened it up to a page with a paper taped in. Mal sat up a little, raising an eyebrow as she watched Evie carefully pull the blacklight away from the book.

"This person is married, but with no children," Lonnie announced. "They enjoy the color blue, still live in a school, and hate homework. Her favorite smell is lavender. They hate being in the center of attention, which is why we started with her, and her life goal is to visit Arendelle."

"It's Jane," Mal blurted out, turning to look at her blue-clad friend, who was looking a little pink. Lonnie laughed and nodded, and they put the book into Jane's lap before dragging the light close to her. Jane giggled as tons of previously invisible scribbles came into view. Some were pictures that Evie had drawn of her in invisible ink, but others were notes and even memories that Evie and Jane had had together. Jane laughed and read aloud how she had once complained she'd never get a boyfriend before Mal historically declared that boyfriends were 'overrated' and 'a waste of time." Jane turned the page and then began to read about the next person.

"This person is not married and would like to have four children when she's older. She works in the clothing industry and is a little too obsessed with sequins," Jane began. Mal didn't know who it was, so she tuned out as everyone guessed and laughed.

Evie's two neighbors were guessed in a row before Evie herself was read: "This person is the only one in the room(we think) who is pregnant. She grew up on the Isle of the Lost, started her own business, and is married to the love of her life."

"I don't think anyone here fits that description," Mal declared. "Are we missing anyone? Did someone not show?"

Everyone laughed as Evie took the book. "My mother isn't technically a princess. I learned to sword fight when I was three and I speak three languages. I'm engaged to my Prince Charming, and my wedding date is yet to be determined. My favorite color is pink, my go-to hairstyle is down, and my dream vacation is hanging out around the Great Wall of Northern Wei."

Mal watched everyone guess each other, with the odds becoming increasingly slim and then noticed who exactly was left. It was only her and one other girl who hadn't been guessed yet. She wondered if Evie had conducted this in a random order, or if she should be preparing herself for a surprise.

The other girl was read next and then Evie took the book back and glanced around. "Who hasn't been read?" She asked, glancing coyly at Mal. Mal raised her hand and the room exchanged looks as Evie cracked the book open with a flourish. "This person is Evie's best friend. She's the daughter of the evilest villainess in the world, and she grew up on the Isle of the Lost. She dated her husband for eight years before they finally got married. She's the queen of Auradon, and – fun fact – she and her husband are each other's literal True Love's, meaning that she gets wasted when they kiss. Who is she?"

Everyone laughed, and Evie passed the book to Mal, along with the blacklight. Mal angled it above the book, and her mouth dropped open. Instead of any notes or pictures or memories, the page was decorated, and in large letters blocked in the center of the page was the request: "Will you be Godmother?"

Everyone shrieked as they looked at the page around her. Mal stared incredulously at the book and looked up at Evie in shock.

"Ben would be godfather," Evie told her. "And I know it's a lot, and you both have the kingdom, but I can't think of a couple more caring, more devoted, and more determined than my best friend and her husband. I want my kids to grow up with role models like you guys."

Doug appeared over her shoulder, leaning against the wall with a smile. Mal's mouth was still open, and her brain seemed completely empty as she stared at her best friend. Everyone held their breaths. Then Mal nodded. "Okay," She squeaked.

The room erupted into screams. Doug hugged Evie from behind as Mal handed the book to Jane and struggled to sit up. Evie got to her feet and together they shared a hug.

"I gotta tell Ben," Mal gasped, withdrawing from Evie and patting her pockets for her phone. She withdrew it and fumbled the screen before she managed to open his contact. Her hands were shaking so hard she couldn't tap right.

"Oh my gosh, it's calling!" Sofi yelped. All of Evie's friends stiffened. Mal put it on speakerphone, hands still shaking, and took a deep breath. The line clicked.

"Mal?" Ben asked. The sound of a door closing filtered through.

"Hi, Ben," Mal gasped, a smile spreading across her face.

"Hey, sweetheart," Ben laughed. Miranda and Sofi pressed their hands to their hearts. "You sound like you're out of breath. Is everything okay?"

"I have something to tell you," Mal laughed. Ben gave a little hum of questioning. "Evie asked us to be Godparents."

Ben began to laugh. "I hope you said yes."

"I did," Mal confirmed through a smile. "And you?"

"Yes – yes! I'd love to be," Ben exclaimed. "That's fantastic. Tell her yes."

"Ben says yes," Mal relayed to Evie needlessly. Evie laughed.

"And I'm on speakerphone," Ben sighed. "Well, congratulations Evie. Have the guards been annoying?"

"Not especially. Thank you for having them back down," Mal laughed. The girls in the room exchanged bewildered looks. One of them mouthed: 'back down?'

"Well, I'm glad. You'll have to tell me everything when you get back. I'm – uh – in a meeting now, so I have to let you go," Ben explained.

Mal's smile faded considerably, but she still felt exhilarated from what had just occurred. "Okay. I love you. Good luck with… Weselton?"

"It's Weasleton," Ben laughed. "Yeah, I love you too. Take it easy and have fun."

"Bye Ben," Mal hummed.

"Goodbye," He bid her, and then the line clicked again.

Mal glanced at the time. "Oh. I called him in the middle of that meeting. I can't believe he picked up," She put her phone away. "Now you can all technically say you've been in a phone call with the king of Auradon." She looked back up at Evie with a bright smile. "Thank you, E," She mumbled, putting her arms around Evie's sides again and squeezing her tightly. Her back twanged in protest, but Mal ignored it.

Doug clapped his hands together. "Let's move into the kitchen for more food," He declared. "Mal, do the guards want anything? We have plenty of stuff."

"I don't know," Mal shrugged. "You can ask them if you want, but I doubt they'll want to leave their posts." Doug nodded and disappeared towards the backyard.

Evie looked around the room as everyone began to get up. "Where did the list of names go?" She asked.

"Here," Miranda proclaimed, picking up the clipboard and passing it to Evie.

Evie took the board, angled in the crook of her arm, and linked her arm through Mal's to help her into the kitchen. "Emily," She mumbled. "I like that a lot."

"Call her Emily if you want, but 'M' is my nickname, okay?" Mal laughed.

"I think I might use it for a middle name. Maybe I'll go with Isabelle Emily Gibson," Evie hummed. She helped Mal into an empty bar stool.

"That's a mouthful," Mal rolled her eyes.

"Just wait until you have kids with Ben," Evie laughed. The conversations around the table died a little as the other girls began eavesdropping, but Evie continued talking. "Crown Prince Benjamin – um" she glanced down at her clipboard "Benjamin Charlie the second of Auradon."

"Did you just name my future child for me?" Mal deadpanned, squinting at Evie as she laughed. "And, for the record, I'm not going to let Ben put his name on a child. They deserve their own name, Evie." Mal hit the table lightly with her fist, annunciating every syllable.

"Let's be real here," Evie laughed. "Who's going to be ninety-seven percent responsible for naming the royal baby?"

"Me," Mal insisted, before rolling her eyes. "No, you're right. Ben is better cut out for that entire ballfield." She sighed and slumped into her chair, gazing off into the distance over Evie's shoulder.

"Did the doctors say anything?" Jane asked, wandering over and leaning on the table with her punch cup. She swirled the liquid inside lazily as Evie picked up a celery stick and snapped it so she could pop it into her mouth.

Mal swallowed and glanced down at her hands for a fraction of time before looking back up. "Yeah, um, they did. The person who was coming to see us – me before I lost the baby at coronation… he gave me a once-over with my injuries back in February."

"And?" Evie hummed, watching Mal's face as she wrinkled her nose up and continued staring vacantly at the ceiling. Doug wandered back into the kitchen from the backyard and paused at the incredibly thick atmosphere. Mal drummed her fingernails on the table.

"Well, with my nerve damage and everything… I – um – he thinks that…" Mal exhaled and wiped a sudden, spontaneous tear from her eye with a tiny sniffle. "I can do it, but the pain will be intense, and during labor, if it gets to be too much, there's a chance I'll suffer brain damage."

Evie choked on her celery. Jane's glass hit the counter with a thud, spilling drink out onto her knuckle a little bit. "What?" She gasped. Mal nodded wordlessly and reached out to pick a cupcake up. She focused on peeling the paper back and avoiding Evie's wide stare.

"That's… for real?" Evie exhaled. Mal continued nodding.

When silence had reigned in the room for too long, Mal began to talk again. "Well, the nerves that are damaged are my column nerves. Luckily, most of the pain waves during those first stages of childbirth are carried by the-"

"T-10 through L-1 nerves." Evie breathed.

"Right," Mal agreed. "So I missed it by one nerve. After the first stage though, I'll have to deal with the nerve damage. And pregnancy will still hurt a ton because any baby inside of me will be pressed up against those nerves from month three onwards, and, well, my doctor doesn't think I can handle that sort of pain." She broke the cupcake up in her hands and popped pieces into her mouth, bit by bit.

"That's awful," Evie breathed.

"Yeah, it probably won't be the best part of my whole life," Mal sniffed. "But it'll be okay. We just have to be careful and go about things slowly, and in the end, everything will be fine. Happily-ever-after, right?"

Evie swallowed hard and stared at Mal like she was worried.

"But… how can you have a happily ever after if you get that sort of severe damage?" Sofi asked, wrapping her arms around herself as if she were cold.

"I have to believe," Mal squeezed her eyes shut. "All this time… all this work…. The only reason I get up in the morning and my entire career and my life, really, is just so one day, he can retire, and we can have our happily ever after. That's all I want."

Silence filled the room. Jane leaned over and squeezed Mal's hand. "Well, you made it this far," She mumbled. "It's only… twenty more years, right?"

"Sixteen as soon as I have a baby," Mal winced, squeezing her eyes shut. "And then this mess will be over, and I don't have to wear a crown and be escorted by ten guards everywhere." She exhaled.

Evie swallowed. "Just focus on getting better first," She advised. "And… you're not going to be young forever. Enjoy it. You're a newlywed, you have your one True Love… everything will work out."

Mal nodded and slowly the conversation started back up around the room. Lonnie put down a glass of pink punch beside her arm and Mal picked it up and studied her reflection in it. "You know," She hummed. "We don't look the way we used to."

"You have a knife wound," Lonnie deadpanned, leaning over Mal's shoulder to steal a couple of carrot sticks. "And yeah, that happens as you grow up."

Mal hummed in agreement and set the glass back down. "Maybe I'm not afraid of aging, but I am a little afraid of the time I'm losing. I just… never feel like I'm going to have enough."

Evie nodded. "I get that," She murmured. "I worry that I'm letting things pass that I'll miss later on."

Mal nodded without a sound and glanced around the room, feeling nostalgic. Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She pulled it out and glanced at the screen. A message from Ben read: Love you lots. You'll have to tell me everything when you get home. Have fun and stay safe.

A smile spread across her face, and the weird feeling was gone.

* * *

"Straighten up," The physical therapist's voice rang in her ears, sending even more goosebumps down Mal's arms. She took a deep breath as the woman's cool hands traced her ribcage and carefully began to help her remove the bandages. She closed her eyes tightly as the wounds were exposed to air and then straightened up even more. The therapist – Dr. Palevsky – made a noise of approval and Mal peeked an eye open. She let out a breath.

Odd patches of yellow stretched down, across her ribs, and onto her torso a little. Odd groups of blue bruises remained, but there was no more black, and only the absolute faintest signs of purple. Her cuts were raised a little and were white against the skin surrounding them, but closed completely, with no scab.

"Wow, I… almost look normal," Mal sighed, glancing down and then taking a finger and tracing a finger down the surgery wounds on her stomach.

"Yes, that's progress," Her therapist nodded with a smile. "Can you put your arms above your head yet?"

Mal immediately began to raise her arms. Her hands and elbows were fully mobile, but as she moved her shoulders, extending them upwards so she could stretch her protesting muscles, the pain set in. She kept until she had her elbows by her ears and her limbs were shaking from the effort.

"That's good," The therapist told her, putting a cool hand on her bicep and pressing Mal's arms down carefully. "You're able to go higher than last time. I think that that and your back will be a work-in-progress, but you're able to move your knee more now, right?"

"Right," Mal confirmed. "I've been trying to lean more on it as I walk, and that helps."

"Gives it practice," Dr. Palevsky nodded. "Okay. I want to focus on your back for this session. Let's keep the bandages off so your skin can get stronger, and used to being in the air again."

Mal nodded, tracing her fingertips over the patterns that the wrapping had let imprinted in her skin. The touch felt foreign. Then her therapist helped her up and onto a clean mat they'd laid on the floor, where she began to guide Mal through a series of stretches that were meant to help Mal's back as much as possible.

At the end of a grueling hour, Dr. Palevsky picked up the bandage rolls and brought them over to Mal. Mal hesitated when she saw them. "Could I… not put them back on?" She asked.

"We don't want lint or anything getting stuck on the healing tissue," Dr. Palevsky frowned, examining Mal's torso tactfully.

"Only for a few hours, and then I'll put them back on?" Mal pleaded. "I'll even call the hospital after you leave and put them right back on if they tell me no."

Dr. Palevsky slouched her shoulders and then nodded. She set the rolls in Mal's hands. "Call them," She reminded her. "And I'll be back next week. Try and do some side-to-side stretches on your back, but don't jam it or anything."

"Got it," Mal smiled, pulling her shirt down and relishing the tickling feeling of the fabric against the wound. She held her arms out a little, and turned her chest slightly to the left, and then slightly to the right, with only minor pain. Her smile grew even broader. "Thank you so much!" She gasped, smiling at Dr. Palevsky as her therapist picked up her bag of tools and rolled up the mat.

"Not a problem," Dr. Palevsky nodded. She waved with a cheery smile of her own. "Till next week."

Mal left the room, walking normally though she still found herself short of breath occasionally, and if she went too fast, then her side would start to hurt. She paused to call the hospital, and Doctor Holt gave her over-the-phone permission to keep them off sparingly until he got the chance to come up and examine her. She wanted to go show Ben, but he was stuck in a meeting for another twenty minutes. She had one coming up this evening, but for now, she was supposed to be in her office completing paperwork. Instead, she went to her room to take her dosage of vitamins that she'd neglected by an hour and a half and then flipped on the TV.

Nothing much was on. She stopped, by habit, on a newsfeed that was displaying a bridge collapse by the seashore in Ariel's kingdom. No one had been hurt, but people were talking more and more of the relative danger that existed there.

She half-listened as she requested one of the servants to bring up a bowl of strawberries and a pitcher of water, and then changed her outfit into purple leggings and a white, airy shirt. She opened the windows halfway to let in the spring breeze and looked down on the palace grounds, where she could see gardeners hard at work prepping the gardens for spring according to the directions she'd given.

On the wall hung a calendar. Mal crossed over to it and began counting back the days. It was the tenth of March, Saturday, and she'd first been hurt on the fifteenth of December. That was three months, and she was finally able to rotate a little in each direction.

The news changed, as it always seemed to do, to her. "New on Royal News, King Benjamin released an official statement regarding recent executions of Treason Participates Harry Hook and Uma, daughter of Ursula. The statement reads as follows, quote: 'While I expected the sentence and preferred it over the long-term incarceration of the aforementioned, I was unable to push for any set decision as this was a court-only trial, and I was not allowed to be involved in the proceedings. When I received word of the court's decisions, this occurring before the date of death, I received all of their findings and reasonings and found them to be within perfect order and accordance with Auradon national laws.' This is the first the palace has had to say on Queen Mal's attackers since December."

A knock came at the door with her strawberries and water. She thanked the servant who'd brought them and then put them on her nightstand. Mal turned up the television a little and pushed herself up onto her and Ben's bed. She slumped back into the pillows and began snacking as she watched the reporter continue to speak.

"While no medical information has been released, Queen Mal was pictured with King Ben at Auradon Prep on the twenty-fourth of February and appears to be on the road to recovery. She walks with a slight gait and can't fully turn around, but the progress is obvious to anyone who looks at her. That event marked the first time Mal had been seen since she was transported out of Auradon City Hospital via armed car squadron," The reporter continued. She was a tall, slightly overweight woman with curly blonde hair and pink lipstick. Mal watched her mouth move as she talked about some of the other places she and Ben were set to appear in the next few weeks.

The door to the bedroom opened and Ben wandered in, dropping his briefcase by the dresser. His eyes fell on her and he glanced surreptitiously at his watch. "You're not supposed to be in here," He frowned, furrowing his brow. "You're on office time right now."

Mal glanced at her watch. "You're not supposed to be here either," She pointed out. "Debra wanted to see you to go over some meetings people want to schedule with you for the next three weeks."

Ben sighed and plopped down on the bed beside her, where he began removing his shoes. "I won't tell if you don't," He grumbled before throwing his head down onto the mattress. Mal reached out subconsciously and began running his fingers through his hair.

"Aren't you supposed to convince me I need to not blow off national responsibilities and try and get me off the bed and back into my office?" Mal asked. She began stacking used strawberry stems on her nightstand.

"Do you want me to start?" Ben asked, closing his eyes and leaning into her touch. Mal hummed in disagreement and watched as his breathing grew slower. The reporter began to talk about entertainment news.

"Hey, I have something to show you," Mal announced, taking her hands back to sit up a little. She held her hands out a little and rotated a little as Ben cracked an eye open and examined her.

"Wow," He smiled. "You're getting better."

Mal nodded and leaned back into her pillow supports. "Doctor Holt said I could take my bandages off a little here and there," She informed him. "My skin is starting to go pale again."

Ben rolled over at that statement and put his hand on her ribcage, feeling for the line of bandages. Mal rolled her hem up, and Ben took in the sight of the lightly bruised skin and remnants of cuts. He hummed softly and laid back down beside her. Mal tapped his shoulder. "I'm allowed to do things again," She told him. "Dr. Palevsky just said to make sure I didn't jam my back."

Ben made a noise of acknowledgment in the back of his throat. Mal continued. "And Doctor Holt told us last time he was up here you could be the judge of my physical exertion." Still, Ben said nothing. Mal reached over and tapped his shoulder. "I want to have you," She sighed.

Ben opened an eye to stare at her and then closed it again. He let out a heavy sigh. "I'm tired now," He told her. "And someone might come around to see why we aren't where we said we were going to be. Let's keep an eye on your skin and then we'll see. Okay?"

Mal felt like that was a fair compromise. "Okay," She nodded, turning back to the TV and raising the remote to scroll aimlessly through the channels.

* * *

Not much else happened throughout March or April. Mal orchestrated the yearly cleaning of the castle and the grounds, updating things as needed, and made preparations for the summer. She made organizations for recreational areas in other areas of Auradon, including New Orleans, New York City, Paris, Auradon City, and Corona, to name a few. Jay and Lonnie bumped their wedding back to the Fall, and Evie took off on maternity leave, meaning she worked from home now instead of from her building. Mal wondered what it was like to love work so much she would want to take it home(taking into account she did work in the same building she lived in.

Going into May, all of Mal's bruises had faded. She was down to only ten different vitamins and painkillers. Simple enough. Only two were painkillers, and the last one she would probably be taking for a very, very long time, just to be able to function from day to day.

Mal saw Evie less and less as she and Doug got ready for the baby to arrive. The nursery was decorated, toys and diapers bought, and Evie had an entire cupboard in her kitchen devoted to bottles of various types and sizes, children's plates and sippy cups, baby foods and refillable applesauce bags, and other children's products.

Finally, the big day came. On May sixteenth, only an hour before lunch, Mal was stuck in her office arranging for a painter to come in to do restoration work on the ancient paintings in the palace when Doug sent the text: Evie is in labor.

Unfortunately, Mal wasn't allowed to go down to the hospital to be with her friend the moment she heard. She had three meetings with different officials around the country, one scheduled call, and a request for an audience with a women's charity event that wanted her support.

The workday ended at six o'clock, after which Mal went to grab her old Isle jacket from her room before she headed down to the palace grounds. Her customary two guards followed her to the garage, where she was surprised to find Ben waiting for her, twirling the keys of one of the palace cars on his fingertip.

"What are you doing here?" Mal laughed, walking up for a hug. He obliged her, wrapping his heavy arms around her frame for a few seconds while he laughed.

"I knew you'd be coming," He replied. "Doug texted me a few minutes ago – she hasn't had the baby yet, but it should be soon. If we leave now, we may be able to get there before the kid turns a year old."

Mal sighed. "Sounds accurate," She grumbled. "Some Godparents we are."

Ben laughed and started the car. The guards – only two of them, got into the backseat. Ben pulled out of the garage and began heading up into the fresh May air. "I should try and get my license again," Mal contemplated as they all pulled out sunglasses as Ben pulled over to the palace guard checkpoint. Ever since the night Ben had proposed to her, Mal had been very careful to keep all of her cards in order, in a little cardholder that helped her easily find everything. They displayed their passes, and Ben had to flash his license and official ID before they continued down the road.

"So, tell me, why is it that you have higher restrictions whenever we leave the palace?" Mal asked, taking his hand in the center console as he drove. "Not that I'm complaining, but shouldn't it be the same now?"

"It should," Ben nodded. "I argued on your behalf, so a lot of your protocols are less severe than mine. If you want, I can have them go back."

"Psh, no thanks," Mal laughed. "But why can't you do that with you?"

"Court regulations," Ben shook his head. "You forget, I'm still the heir apparent to Auradon. I'm kind of irreplaceable until we have kids. It's my DNA that matters."

"Lovely," Mal rolled her eyes. "What was I thinking when I married into the royal family?" She asked.

"Were you thinking?" Ben snorted, squeezing her palm before he had to put his hand back on the wheel.

"I don't know," Mal shrugged. "There was this unbelievably hot prince, and he kissed me so much I could barely even think straight. Maybe I was brain dead and no one even realized."

Ben burst into laughter, nodding along with her words. They turned into the hospital parking lot and Mal hummed as a car turned out onto the road beside them. "What're the chances we can sneak in without anyone realizing we're here?" She asked.

Ben let out a guffaw. "You're hilarious," He rolled his eyes as a car slammed on their brakes in the opposite lane and rolled down their windows to stare. Mal carefully looked away as Ben navigated them to the general parking sector.

Ben came around the help her out, ignoring the guards, and then the two linked arms as they hurried towards the entrance, entourage in pursuit. They slipped inside and hurried towards the receptionist's desk. One young mother looked up and gaped a little, but everyone else remained stone-faced, staring at their magazines.

Ben cleared his throat before the receptionist could look up from her computer. "Excuse me," he began, and twenty other people's heads snapped up at his familiar voice. People started tugging on their neighbor's sleeves. "We're here to see Evie Gibson?"

"What kind of patient is she?" The receptionist asked, typing the name into her computer.

"She's… having a baby? Just had one? We haven't received word on it yet." Ben turned to Mal, shrugging a little.

"Maternity ward is through that door right – oh my goodness." The receptionist had finally looked up and discovered the kingdom's leaders at her desk. Ben looked to where she'd begun to gesture and nodded.

"Thank you very much, ma'am," He smiled at her, making her sink even lower into her chair. He and Mal walked away as people rubbed their eyes, moments before the chaos began.

A different stunned receptionist managed to stand up long enough to escort them to a back area where Jane, Jay, Carlos, and Lonnie were all waiting, along with Doug's parents and a couple of cousins.

"The fun has arrived," Carlos announced when he saw them approaching.

"Really? Where?" Mal asked, looking back and forth along the corridor.

"Did we make it in time?" Ben asked, letting Mal's arm go and clapping Carlos on the shoulder. Jay shook his head, rolled his eyes, and set an arm around Ben's shoulders.

"You missed everything by approximately five minutes," He informed them, flashing his watch face at Ben. "Doug just barely went back in. They're cleaning the little one off and letting Evie breathe for a few minutes."

"Girl?" Mal asked, peering into the door they were standing outside of. There was a tiny peephole in the center of the door, at about her forehead level. If she stood on her tiptoes, she could see dark figures rushing back and forth in front of a window.

"Yeah," Lonnie nodded. "Seven pounds, three ounces, and about eighteen inches long."

"Well, that's all fine and dandy, but does she have blue hair or not?" Mal frowned, squinting into the room. She thought she recognized Doug's frame, but couldn't tell for sure.

"Doug didn't say," Jane laughed. "We might not be able to tell for a week. She might not have hair."

Ben pulled Mal underneath his arm. "You can't look in there. They'll get mad at you."

Mal pushed him away with a sneer. "I'm the queen of Auradon. I can do whatever I want."

Everyone oohed at Ben as she slipped back out. He caught her hand, preventing her from turning at all since she couldn't exactly move her spine much without, well, collapsing, and pulled her back, looking like he was about to give her a lecture. "No, no!" He laughed. "No, it doesn't work like that." He set his hands on her biceps as she rolled her head around on her neck.

"Ugh!" She groaned. "What do you think they would do if we just walked in?"

"You may not just walk in," Ben rolled his eyes.

"I'm serious; it's not like they can throw us out. We _literally _own the hospital," Mal frowned.

"She's right," Jane laughed. "The hospital is on government pay – just like Auradon Prep."

"I'll tell you what," Ben began with a heavy sigh, holding up a finger by her cheek. "If you walk in there before they tell you that you can, I will walk you back out to the parking lot and take you back to the castle, and you'll have to wait until Evie gets out to meet your Goddaughter."

All of her friends snorted and scoffed, shifting their weight and folding their arms as they waited for her reaction. "If you can catch me," Mal grumbled, folding her arms and turning her frame away from him. She could feel Ben roll his eyes at her from behind her.

"You can't run," Ben pointed out. "And we have two guards with us. And you'd have to come back to one of us eventually. It's not like you could take the baby and never come back."

"You know, strictly speaking, one of our goals would be accomplished and the other wouldn't get to see the baby," Mal pointed out, reaching towards the door handle jokingly.

"And I won't bring you to see anyone else's," Ben added flatly.

Mal's shoulders slumped. "You can't barricade me inside the palace. I'm in charge of the grounds anyways."

"Yes, but I'm in charge of the guards who patrol the borders," Ben pointed out. "So, behave, or – you know what! Behave, or I'll make you go through the same regulations I have to go through." He crossed his arms and smirked at Mal as her mouth fell open.

"You wouldn't!" Mal declared, crossing her arms and mimicking Ben's stance without the slouch into his hip.

Ben leaned forward, dropping an arm around her shoulders, and kissed her brow. "Try me, sweetheart," He challenged.

The door opened and a nurse appeared. "Alright, we're ready for you all," She announced. Jay and Lonnie immediately slipped inside, pushing each other playfully as they elbowed their way in. Jane followed them, and Carlos presented the walkway to Ben and Mal, letting them go ahead of him. As they passed in front of the nurse, her mouth dropped open and she gasped. "Holy Heavens of Aura-"

"Yes, yes, we know," Carlos laughed, rushing Ben in a little faster before stepping over the threshold. "You can close the door and go freak out now."

The nurse looked like she might faint as she shut the door and disappeared. Ben, Mal, and Carlos all crowded into the room. Doug was standing beside Evie with an arm around her. Evie herself looking about as messy as Mal had ever seen her. Her hair was in a bun with tiny little flyway's surrounding her head like a fuzzy halo. She had eyeshadow and mascara on, but it was smeared a little around the corners of her eyes. Sweat still covered her forehead, and she was still breathing hard as she smiled at her friends.

"Hi," She whispered.

"You look like you just crawled off the Isle," Jay told her.

"You kidding? She never looked this bad on the Isle," Mal rolled her eyes. She walked over to her friend and gave her a one-armed hug. "It's great to see you skinny again," She mumbled, wrinkling her nose at the smell of sweat.

"Ha, ha," Evie rolled her eyes.

Mal looked around the room. The doctors had cleared out all of their mechanical tools and cracked the window open to let in a breeze. A little hospital bassinette was waiting on Evie's right side, but Mal couldn't see any mini-Evie lying around. "So… where did they put her?" She asked, craning her neck to look behind Jay and Lonnie, as if the baby might, for some reason, be behind them.

"You have no tact," Carlos rolled his eyes.

"They took her away to clean her off," Doug explained softly. "And take her footprints and stuff."

"Have you named her yet?" Mal asked.

"She's been alive for, like, a half-hour at most," Evie sighed. "And I've held her for five minutes. We probably won't decide on a name until later tonight."

Mal hummed and hugged Evie again. "Well, great job," She mumbled. Being in the room was giving her anxiety. "You're a lot stronger than I am."

Jay made a disbelieving sound in the back of his throat. Evie shook her head. "That's not true," She scoffed.

"Ben, how many emotional breakdowns did I have in the two months I was pregnant?" Mal asked, returning to her husband's side to allow everyone else to approach the table.

A dark shadow passed over Ben's face, and a downcast expression appeared. He shrugged as he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. "I don't know," He shrugged. "I didn't try and keep track."

Mal stuck a thumb out towards him. "See?" She told her friends. "That means a lot, by the way."

The door swung open before anyone could say anything else and the same nurse wandered back in, pushing a little cart where a tiny person wrapped in pink lay. Everyone moved out of the way as the nurse moved into the room, keeping her eyes firmly on the ground, and then on Evie. Evie straightened up when she saw the cart coming and a broad smile spread across her face. "Hello, princess!" She whispered, holding her hands out.

The nurse picked up the baby carefully and placed it in Evie's arms. "Now remember, balance her head and don't let it fall too far back," She warned.

Evie nodded with a deep breath. "I know, I know," She whispered as the blankets dropped into her arms. She cradled the little girl to her chest with a smile. Mal tilted her head to the side as Ben dropped an arm around her shoulder. The nurse nodded and withdrew a few steps. She bumped into Ben's side, turned, and almost leaped fifteen feet. With a yelp and several hurried apologies, she took off running out of the room.

Evie pulled the covers down to expose her little one's chin. Her breath hitched, and everyone leaned in, even Doug, who'd already seen the baby. Evie let out a ragged breath. "Hello, little one." She whispered, then paused. "I have waited my entire life for this moment." She announced to the room.

Mal was reminded of her wedding, standing in the bathroom of the pub, staring at herself minutes before she made the best decision of her life. She didn't quite understand why Evie felt like this moment – she was sweaty, lying in a hospital bed, and not looking nearly as perfect as usual – would be the culmination of her life's work, but she could relate to the feeling.

Ben leaned forward to watch the newborn. He still looked downcast. Mal bumped her hip into his, and he straightened up and wiped his expression clean as if he'd never looked nostalgic in the first place.

Jay examined her. "I don't see any resemblance at all," He announced.

"Look, Jay," Lonnie sighed and pointed to the little girl's nose. "She's got Evie's chin and nose."

"Evie and Doug's noses look exactly the same," Jay deadpanned. "A nose is a nose."

"Doug has a wider nose, and Evie's is longer," Lonnie explained. "And really, can you look between Jane and me and think our noses look the same?"

Jay looked between Jane and Lonnie. His lips pinched together, and he said nothing. Lonnie tilted her head back and sighed. Jay held up his hands in silent defense of a statement he hadn't even expressed and then squinted back at the baby. "She looks like a very red potato," He proclaimed.

Evie huffed and stared at him like he was a bug she wanted to be squashed. Jay backed away with his hands above his head. "Just sayin'," He mumbled. Mal leaned forward and agreed with Jay in her head. The child's skin was mottled and covered with red speckles.

"How long is she going to have those marks on her skin?" Mal asked, folding her arms. Ben began tracing little circles on her arm as he watched Evie cradle her newborn.

"Only an hour or two," Doug shrugged, cracking a smile. "To be honest E, I see where Jay's coming from. She doesn't exactly look picturesque yet."

Evie huffed and swatted at her husband irritably. "She's perfect," She announced. "I can't wait till you're old enough to like dresses and makeup and-"

"Mud," Mal interrupted hurriedly. "And dirt, and magic, and climbing things, and running."

"And boys," Jay added, popping all of his knuckles all at once with an evil gleam in his eye. "Oh, we're going to have so much fun with that!"

Evie pouted. "No," She disagreed. "I changed my mind. I just want you to stay little."

"Give it a week," Mal suggested. "And when you're up all night for the fifth time in a row, you can decide if you want them to stay little or not." The room burst into laughter as Evie glared at Mal out of the corner of her eyes.

Jane wiped her hands on her skirt. "Can I hold her?" She asked. Evie immediately nodded and shifted so her hands were supporting the small girl's frame. She handed the baby to Jane, who cradled her against her chest and cooed softly. Mal felt Ben's arms leaving her frame and watched him take a few steps closer to Jane. He cupped his hand and rested it on the little girl's head with a bright smile. Mal felt distinctly uncomfortable, so she took a seat on the edge of Evie's bed.

"So, I know you had your list of names, but I forgot one I wanted to suggest," Mal announced. Evie tilted her head and raised her eyebrow. "I think you should name her Bertha."

"No," Evie replied, almost immediately while Ben, Carlos, Jay, Jane, and Lonnie snorted and chuckled behind her.

"Why not?" Mal complained. "It's good boy repellant. And having a name like that builds character. Plus, she's going to be spoiled for the rest of her life – we have to do something to keep her head on the ground!"

"Boy repellant?" Ben snorted, letting his hand drop off Evie's daughter. "Yeah, look how well that worked for you." He hugged her from behind, pressing a kiss onto her hair. Mal's mouth dropped indignantly.

"Yeah, but it's my middle name," Mal protested. "If you make it her first name, then there's no way anyone won't know."

"Forget it, Mal," Evie shook her head. "If Ben lets you, you can name your first child Bertha, but I'm going to name mine something perfectly respectable." She turned to Doug. "Like Isabelle or Emily."

"I still like Grace." He shrugged.

"Mal isn't allowed to give her name to our baby," Ben declared, fixing his eyes on Mal with a teasing light in his eyes. "And Evie, Doug, you could do Emily Grace. I mean, I know I'm throwing out the name I suggested, but…"

"You suggested Isabelle?" Evie asked with a laugh. "Wow. I should have known. I honestly thought Mal managed to come up with a decent name all by herself." Mal wrinkled her nose and stuck out her tongue at Ben, who rolled his eyes.

"Are you trying to steal my thunder?" He asked, elbowing her a little.

"Which one doesn't involve the kingdom, the lightning or the thunder?" Mal asked.

"Emily Grace," Doug reminded Evie, who nodded thoughtfully.

"I like it," She agreed. "We'll have to see if it fits. For now, though, let's all take a moment to thank the lords that Mal has Ben in her life so that her first child doesn't end up Maleficent the Magnificent or anything like that."

Mal almost fell off the bed as she began to laugh. "Maleficent the Magnificent!" She blurted out, holding her side as her damaged nerves sent SOS waves to her frazzled brain. "Ben, can we-"

"No," Ben cut her off firmly. He held out a hand and gently covered her face. "Perish the thought."

"I'm so sorry," Evie apologized, covering her forehead as she watched Mal calm down, holding her side.

"Mal, you should hold your goddaughter," Jane blurted out, changing the way she was holding the baby and preparing to hand her off. Mal took several deep breaths and straightened up. Her side was killing her still, but she calmed down and held her arms out.

Ben took a step behind her and Evie and Doug straightened up. The entire room held its breath.

Jane put the little girl in Mal's arms and, with a little help, the child settled into her elbow. Mal looked down at the little girl. She didn't look any different than she had from Evie's arms. She glanced around at all her friends. It was clear they were waiting for some magical, happy moment, but Mal wasn't quite convinced.

"Cool," She shrugged. "She's light. Ben, want her now?"

Ben let out a little sigh of disappointment as Mal moved the girl to his arms. She brushed her hands off and discreetly got up to go grab some hand sanitizer as Ben examined the newborn. Everyone watched as a little smile spread across his face. Mal bit her lip as she rubbed the alcohol-scented substance into her skin. The baby, she realized, kind of smelled gross.

Ben tried not to look too awed, but the differences between she and he hadn't ever been this clear. He thought this was awesome. She thought it was disgusting, though she was glad to see Evie happy.

Just think: only an hour ago that child had been covered in blood and fluid and – ew. Mal got another dose of hand sanitizer. No one else seemed to share her opinion. Jane got a bit of hand sanitizer before she took the baby back from Ben to hold her a little longer, which kind of defeated the purpose, Mal thought. Everyone lined up to hold the baby girl as Mal hung out by the hall, watching Evie and Doug whisper with bright smiles.

"You're going to go with the Emily, aren't you?" Mal called. Everyone glanced at her, and she took a few steps towards the group so it didn't seem as though she was backing away from them.

"We like Emily," Evie agreed. "But we're debating between Grace and Isabelle, actually."

"Isabelle is cute, but I still think Emily Grace flows better and fits her more," Ben advised them. "You could also call her Maddie."

"I have a cousin named Maddie," Doug shook his head. "I like Grace. All in favor of Grace?"

"This is not a democracy!" Evie sputtered as everyone in the room raised their hands nonchalantly. "This is our baby's name!"

"And it looks like your baby's name is Emily Grace," Mal announced. "That was a unanimous vote, E."

Evie sighed and sank back into her pillows. "Well, at least it's a cute name," She grumbled. Doug crossed his arms in success and smiled.

Two simultaneous beeps came from Ben and Mal's cell phones, and both let out a sigh as they pulled out their screens, just as two more came through. Mal squinted at her phone, and then glanced up worriedly at Ben.

"What is it?" Carlos asked, looking over Ben's shoulder.

"Palace alert," Ben frowned. "We're being tracked, and we're forbidden to leave the area. I wonder what's going on?" The three standard messages from the palace guards were residing on their cell phones: You are being traced. You may not move. Your phone controls have been seized.

The doors to the hospital room opened and the guards stepped inside, clicking the safety on their weapons. Ben put his phone away quietly, using Mal's frame to hide the fact it was even out. Mal slipped hers up her sleeve as she turned to stare at them. "Is there a problem?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We haven't received word yet," One guard answered. "But the palace alerts have been activated. Additional guards are on their way to escort you home."

Mal sighed and turned to look at Ben. Ben had deflated a little, and his face was pinched with worry. He bit his lip and consider the guards. "Please, page my parents," He mumbled and turned back towards Evie and Doug. "I think that's a great choice but let me know if you decide to change it. I think… we'll probably be leaving soon."

Ben and Mal's phones buzzed again. Ben sighed and moved towards the guards. He opened his phone and skimmed the message under their careful eye. His breath hitched.

"Ben?" Mal asked, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

Ben turned and swallowed. "Dad just had another heart attack. He's fine, and his heart didn't stop this time, but we're still being escorted home. They have his doctor up at the palace already, and he's already stabilized."

"That fast?" Carlos asked with a furrowed brow.

"It probably happened a few minutes ago and we were locked out when Mom sent for the doctor. It usually takes them like, two minutes to block our phones and notify us. He doesn't live too far from the palace though, so everything should be fine," Ben explained. He put his phone away and stepped back towards the group.

"I'm sorry you have to go," Evie frowned. "And about your dad, Ben. Good luck. I hope everything works out."

"It will," Ben mumbled. "Thank you, Evie."

The guards remained at attention at the doors. "You will remain in this room until reinforcements show up," One commanded.

Mal sighed. "Please, don't make a scene. We had enough people staring at us just walking into the hospital. We don't need a fanfare." She put her head in her hands.

"You'll have to get used to security one day, Queen Mal," The elder of the two guards grumbled.

"Eh, she doesn't have to," Ben shrugged. "I've been living under palace security my entire life, and under Kingdom guard the last eight years, and I still think it's annoying." He put an arm around her shoulder. "But, technically, you agreed to it. I didn't get a choice."

"If you're trying to make me feel better, you're terrible at it," Mal scoffed. She stepped towards Lonnie, who was still holding the baby. "Well, let me see my goddaughter before I go," She sighed, leaning over Carlos's shoulder to look at the baby again.

Lonnie passed the baby to Mal immediately. Mal jumped a little before she took the child. She'd meant the literal form of look, not the 'give-me-the-baby' kind of look. She fumbled the little girl's head and glanced cautiously at Evie, who had gone rigid at the fumble. Her mouth suddenly felt a little dry. "I – um – Emily Grace, I'm totally going to call you Bertha as you grow up," She declared and then turned to pass the baby to Ben. Ben smiled brightly, and then his features slipped slowly into a face of intense, despairing sadness. Mal examined the little girl with a nod and turned to Evie. "She's cute. Good job, E," She smiled and gave her friend a hug. Evie's smile still seemed a little tight, but she hugged Mal.

The guards cleared their throats from the door as Ben continued holding Evie's daughter. "More guards are arriving," The elder announced. "We have orders to move you now."

Ben sighed and handed Evie's baby back to her. A bright, happy smile settled onto her mouth. Mal hummed as he linked their arms together and held her hand under the hand sanitizer dispenser as the guards opened the door to escort them out.

Their eighteen other guards were standing outside the entrance in a long line leading directly to a waiting car. Ben sighed as he pulled the keys to the car they'd driven out of his pocket and palmed them to one of the guards who'd driven with them. People came to gape as the guards took them up to the car, opened the door, and helped them in. Four guards from Ben's squadron and four from Mal's joined them in the car. Mal didn't exactly see the point of having all eighteen drive down to escort them. They could have just as easily had them escort she and Ben to their room after they'd arrived back at the castle.

"Let's say, one hundred years from now, an entire extended family lives in the palace," Mal sighed, leaning into Ben's shoulder as they started to drive away from the hospital. "Cousins, aunts, uncles, siblings-in-law-once-removed. Is everyone going to be shut down every single time something happens?"

"Well, no, because you may have noticed that things get less intense the further in line for succession you are," Ben shrugged. "You're second, as my wife, and immensely important because you're the reigning queen, and then my parents are third and fourth, and so as time goes by and we get fifteenths and elevenths and so on, they won't need to have as much security and can mostly chill."

Ben wrapped his fingers through Mal's and dipped his chin to whisper in her ear, so softly she almost couldn't hear. "Do you need some anxiety medicine?" He asked.

Mal shook her head. "I grabbed some before we left," She replied. "God, it smelled really bad in there. It was all over the baby too."

"Evie will get her cleaned up," Ben rolled his eyes. "Did you… not like her?"

Mal blinked. "No, Emily is great. I'm happy for Evie. She's already a fantastic mom."

'And you're already a fantastic dad,' she thought sourly. 'Even though the only kids we have are our annoying country of seventy-five million who hate our guts three-quarters of the time.' She felt guilty, even though she didn't need to be feeling guilty. He knew what he was getting into with her, and she knew what she was getting into with him, and eventually didn't have to mean tomorrow, or next week, or next month, or even next year. By god, she was allowed to enjoy being married before she had to worry about a kid, right?


	8. Chapter 8

**This chapter is pretty hectic but I promise that the next one will be so cute you'll want everyone around you to cry.**

* * *

"You're acting nostalgic again," Mal mumbled as she finished filling out the paperwork he'd handed her.

"Am I?" He wondered, tapping his foot against the floor as he waited.

"So, who's pregnant this time?" Mal asked sarcastically. She waited for a response, and then glanced up. "That was a joke. I wasn't supposed to wrangle the reason you're feeling sad out of you that quickly."

Ben shrugged. His hair was a bit messy, and he watched her hands as she finished applying her signature to the bottom line of the documents and handed them back to him before resuming her own responsibilities and work. She was trying to arrange a blanket-making class that would benefit burn victims, but so far, the times that the teachers were available weren't coordinating. "It's Audrey," Ben confessed. "Why did you guess that first?"

"I didn't expect it to be this, again." Mal sighed irritably. "It's been a week since Evie had her baby – do we have to stay on this line of 'I'm so sad we don't have a baby'? She had hers, great. I guess I don't know why you get so melancholy every time it's brought up." She put the pen down and touched the tips of her fingertips together with a sigh.

Ben said nothing. He didn't meet her gaze, only stood still, fiddling with the corners of his pages. Mal pinched the bridge of her nose. "I honestly don't know what to say." She sighed. "We lost it. I'm sorry? And I have about six months of therapy under my belt now and I can rotate around, but I still don't want a baby yet and – is this because I wasn't all starry-eyed in the hospital over Emily? Is that what this is?"

"No." Ben shook his head. "I'm not trying to guilt you or anything either. I'm just… struggling a little."

"Because you want a baby too?" Mal prodded with a frown.

"No; it's not even about that." Ben sighed.

Mal pushed her chair back from her desk with a sigh. "Then what is it about because really, Ben, I don't know where I should even start to understand, and to help you-"

"You would be almost seven months right now if we hadn't lost the baby last December," Ben blurted out, leaning against the wall of her office with a sigh. Mal blinked at him. "You would be seven months along in June. And then eight in July, and then in August, that would have been it."

Mal picked up her pen and started doodling aimlessly on the corner of her paper. She hadn't had the time to doodle something in a long, long time. "So you're thinking about what if?" She drawled out.

"I guess, yeah." Ben sighed. "What if our baby would have had your nose or chin? Or your hair or eyes?" He leaned forward, set the paperwork down, and pulled her chin up to meet her eyes. "Aren't you even the least bit sad for what we missed?"

"God, you're acting just like Evie was." Mal sighed, withdrawing and hiding her face in her hands. "I'm sad that you're sad. I'm sad that you want this now and I'm still not ready. I'm sad I'm not like Evie or Jane or Lonnie and I'm not all hyped up about the fact Evie pushed a seven-pound organism out of her. I'm glad to be godmother, I guess. I'm glad she's happy. I'm glad that she feels like this is her dream come true." Mal slumped back into her chair. "What more do you want from me?"

Silence reigned. Ben's eyes had clouded over, and he was staring at her mournfully. She dug her fingernails into her palms. "Ben, I was scared of that thing. Absolutely terrified. I can't even imagine what it would be like now if I still had it. I… don't know if I could have done it."

"So you don't care?" Ben asked softly. "You had someone's life inside you. You had an entire future that wasn't even your own and something that we created, and you don't care?"

Mal stared at him. Her silence betrayed her opinion. No. How could she be expected to care about something that terrified her? Ben's hands stilled at his sides, and he closed his eyes in pain. Mal swallowed. "Did you care about Uma and Harry, before they were executed? You didn't exactly try too hard to stop that."

"The law is the-" Ben began, but Mal cut him off.

"You wanted them dead." Mal pointed at him accusingly. "You wanted that justice. Not because you thought they might do it again, and not because you cared about the law! You were angry because they hurt me, and you wanted their blood for, what, a cut and a twenty-foot fall?"

"That cut will affect you for the rest of your life," Ben snapped. "They stole – so what if I was angry? So what if I'm angry now? Are you trying to justify yourself to me?"

"I was afraid of something that would hurt me and I wanted it gone. You were angry at something that had indirectly hurt you, and you wanted it gone. On different sides of the spectrum, would we have acted any differently?" Mal asked, planting her hands on her desk and using the wood to leverage herself to a standing position.

Ben dug his hands into his pockets and closed his eyes. Mal waited as he drew a ragged breath. "I'm sorry," He whispered, finally. "I'm just… sad."

"I'm sad too, and I'm sorry." Mal sighed. She walked around the desk and leaned up to kiss his cheek as tears rolled down his face. "It wasn't fair."

"I'm sorry that… everything happened at such a bad time, and that I couldn't protect you, and that I'm so upset now, months after," Ben admitted, putting his arms around her and squeezing her tightly to him. "God, there's so much I need to apologize for."

"I'm sorry too," Mal whispered, combing her fingers through his hair. "I'm sorry that this is a problem for me – I don't know why. I'm sorry I was so stressed out and sick those two months. I'm sorry I'm still not ready."

Ben nodded along to her words as he took a couple of shaky breaths. "I know, I know," He mumbled, "But… we're going to get through this." Mal nodded, and they stayed with their arms around each other until Ben took a half step back, sniffled, and wiped his eyes. "Okay," He sighed. "I've got to take this stuff to my office and seal it before I give it to Debra for filing."

"Okay," Mal sighed. She made it back to her chair and sat down. "I guess I'll see you later." Ben nodded and leaned over to kiss her cheek. Without another word, he slipped out the door.

Mal drummed her fingers on her desk and then pressed her fingertips to the scarring underneath her shirt. She remembered all too well the sick feeling that had come with the child before, and maybe it was the medicines she was chalked up on, but the thought didn't seem to churn her stomach nearly as much. Still, she didn't want it. Not now, not for a long, long time.

* * *

"So, what is this even for?" Mal asked, holding up an oddly shaped cone with a bottle attached to it.

"It's a pump." Evie rolled her eyes as she wandered over and took the device out of Mal's hands, balancing Emily on her shoulder. Mal side-stepped her best friend as Evie put the pump back in a drawer and looked at the little week-and-a-half-year-old on Evie's shoulder. Her skin had evened out to be just as flawless as Evie's, though Doug's skin color was maintained. Her tiny fists lay balled up on her mom's shoulders as her wide blue eyes flit left and right, trying to focus on something around them. She hadn't quite figured out how to uncurl her fingers yet. Mal leaned in a little as Evie's back was still turned and raised an eyebrow at Emily. Emily must have glimpsed the purple or something because she gave a quick, reflexive smile, followed by a coo.

Mal chuckled the way she would if someone had told her a relatively funny joke and ran a finger under the baby's chin as it bobbed. "Hello, Bertha." She smiled.

"Mal." Evie frowned, turning around and casting a disapproving look at her best friend, "Don't call her that."

"I had to suffer through a horrible middle name, why not everyone else?" Mal asked. "And it really does build character – just look how well Ben turned out!"

"Her name is not Bertha, it is Emily," Evie declared, exasperated. "And good queens of Auradon shouldn't wish their suffering onto poor innocent children!" She sighed dramatically and then turned to continue messing in a drawer for some new socks for Emily. As she turned, Mal watched Emily hiccup, and a globber of white, mucusy slime appeared from her mouth. Mal took a step back as Emily's spit-up dripped from her chin and landed on Evie's shirt. Evie let out a yelp and twisted to see where the wet feeling had come from. She groaned. "Oh, sweetheart," She mourned, taking the child off her shoulder and hurriedly snatching a burp rag from where it was slung across a crib bar. She wiped Emily's mouth with a frown. "Now Mommy has to go change." She sighed.

Evie turned to Mal. "Do you want to hold her at all?" She asked. Mal shook her head and backed away a few more steps.

"She just spit up all over you and you expect me to take her?" Mal asked. "No way. I'll keep an eye on her if you put her in her crib, but I don't need any of that on me."

Evie sighed and set Emily in her crib. The little girl watched the world change with wide eyes. Evie smiled and then began picking at her shirt as the back began to become cold. "I'm going to run and change," She grumbled. "Be right back."

Mal listened to Evie's footsteps retreat, and then looked around. Evie's nursery was white with beautiful hand-painted balloons on all of the walls. The furniture was grey – all of it, and it all matched – and a beautiful pink fuzzy rug was on the floor. Bobble necklaces and knit blankets and a large rocking chair decorated the space and brought a touch into it that was so… Evie.

She peered into the crib and leaned against the guard rail with a hand underneath her chin. Emily's eyes flicked back and forth and seemed to focus on her. It was probably the purple hair. Mal waved a little with a soft smile and then watched Emily squirm. She couldn't do much – couldn't hold up her head, couldn't uncurl her fingers, couldn't roll over onto her belly or anything. She just spat up and pooped and laughed a little, here and there.

As if on cue, Emily let out a sweet little laugh, and then sneezed. Mal flinched back and then chuckled a little. "Okay, so you're cute, what else?" She asked softly. Emily's eyes remained fixed on her, but of course, she didn't say anything. Mal hummed. "What do you mean, 'what else'?" She asked in a higher-pitched tone. "That's all I need."

"Who are you talking to?" Evie laughed, reappearing in the doorway with a different cream-colored shirt on. Mal glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. Evie wandered closer and leaned on the guard rail. "I love her so much," She mumbled.

Mal furrowed her brow. "She just spit up on you. And she wakes up every morning at two a.m."

"I know." Evie nodded. "But I love her."

Mal hummed and drummed her fingers together on the railing. "I have a question for you," She began.

"Ask away," Evie invited, straightening up.

Mal turned slightly to stretch her back and then looked to Evie. "What does… Doug think about her?" She began.

"Doug loves her." Evie smiled. "We're both really happy to have her in our house."

"So, in your opinion, is her existence more your pushing for her or him pushing for her, if you get what I mean?" Mal asked.

"You mean who wanted her more first?" Evie asked. "Oh, definitely me. I was trying to get pregnant for almost nine months, and I arranged all my own fertility treatments and everything. We were actually starting to get worried when everything fell into place." She leaned down and traced her fingertips down Emily's cheeks as the girl took in the two colorful heads. She already focused on Evie a lot, Mal noticed.

Mal hummed. "Ben's been really… mopey since we came to see her the first time. He's sad because he keeps thinking of the one we lost, and, well, I'm still not there yet."

"But you've made lots of progress." Evie shrugged. "I think that's an accomplishment."

Mal let out a longsuffering sigh and groaned. "Yeah, and I think that too, but I also am still not on board with nine months of suffering, and every single time I catch him staring off into space or watching me with _that_ look in his eye, I feel like he's not really understanding where I am in my mental health right now."

"But see it from his point of view." Evie shrugged. "He lost an entire future that he's wanted for a long time. Your happily-ever-after is growing old with him, but his is raising kids with you."

"And on some level, I'm starting to understand that." Mal shrugged. "I mean, I don't relate, but I understand. Ben's big on family, and he loves the idea of little kids and people who would grow up and be similar to him and me, but… Isle life raised me differently, and it took me a while to figure out I even wanted a marriage. And marriage was – and is – a huge sacrifice for me. You've seen my life; I can't even show up at your house on a Saturday to hang out without bringing an entourage, though we thankfully convinced the palace two weeks ago to lower our escorts back to two instead of our emergency personnel of ten." Mal sighed bitterly and carefully put her elbows down on the crib, though she couldn't lean. "I just don't know if I want to cut out a chunk of my life to birth and raise a child. I know I have to, for the sake of Auradon, but… I kind of want to put it off a few years."

Evie nodded and put a hand on Mal's. "Do you think the Isle affects your view at all?"

"Oh, for sure." Mal nodded. "My two mental health therapists spent three sessions each trying to figure out what happened on the Isle and their theories are that either some collection of events on the Isle or the general anti-family atmosphere my mom raised me in is coming back to pinch me."

"Or both." Evie shrugged. She drummed her fingers on the bar and winced. "Do you remember Brianna when we were in our ninth year of Dragon Hall?"

Mal's stomach physically turned at the memory. Poor Brianna, with normal every-day villain parents, had gotten pregnant in her youth. After seven months of torture, she'd entered an early labor that lasted nineteen hours before someone panicked. They'd tried to help by cutting her open to get the baby out – which was a horrible idea all on its own – and used a piece of broken, jagged glass to do so. Brianna had bled out when some arteries had been sliced through, and after more mistakes, the baby's arm had been sliced off except for a few shreds of skin. It was one of the worst things Mal had ever witnessed.

"I try not to think of her," Mal mumbled, shuddering. "Oh, that poor child."

Someone knocked at the door. Evie and Mal turned around to see Doug standing, leaning into the frame. "Having fun?" He asked.

"You're here to give me bad news, right?" Mal sighed, letting go of the crib and straightening her shirt.

"Your guards want you." Doug pointed down the stairs with a sympathetic look. "I think the country is summoning you."

Mal sighed and hugged Evie. "Okay," She mumbled. "Well, it was nice talking to you. I'd better get going before they break your door or anything."

Evie nodded in understanding. Doug stepped aside as Mal walked past and watched in concern as she went to the steps and took hold of the railing. Then, carefully, she tried to shift her weight down. Immediately, horrible pains rushed through her entire right side. She tried her other side, but the offset balance didn't help either.

"Do you need help?" Doug asked, taking a few steps closer to the stairs.

"No, no!" Mal waved him off. "I just have to-" She forced her right foot down and stumbled. Doug jumped forward to grab her, but it was too late. Mal tumbled down the steps headfirst, and everything went black.

* * *

She came to back in the palace, in her and Ben's room. Ben was sitting beside her, working on paperwork for Corona's upcoming Cotillion, and there was a cool rag covering her forehead. She reached up, rubbing her brow, and he almost jumped out of his skin. "Oh! You're awake!" He gasped.

"Good morning?" Mal asked, pulling the rag off her forehead and then changing her mind and replacing it. Her shoulders ached in protest.

"Evening, actually," Ben huffed. "You took quite the tumble, but you've only been out a few hours. Made television." Mal grumbled at that news, and Ben continued. "We had to move two meetings to Monday, so you'll have a longer day then. Sorry."

Mal nodded and pulled the rag down on top of her eyes. Ben poked her. "We need to talk," He demanded, very firm. Mal made a noise of disagreement in the back of her throat. He pulled the rag off her face and held up a thick folder. Mal squinted against the light at it and realized it was her patient folder.

"Please tell me they didn't add more prescriptions for headaches or anything," Mal groaned, sitting up slowly and borrowing his shoulder to help herself up.

"You could have had a concussion." Ben frowned. "But no, they didn't give you anything. The doctors already checked you out, and they're going to be back in the morning, but they took your pulse, checked your head and side – by the way, you're bruising again – and took your blood."

"That's ridiculous." Mal sighed. She took the folder and flipped it open, examining the contents of the file. The most recent files were on top, underneath her identifications and medical information. She glanced at the report and yawned. "What am I looking for that you want to talk to me about?"

Ben leaned forward and pointed to the area detailing her blood test. "They took your blood to see if there were any biomarkers signaling brain damage, and they found this instead."

Mal squinted. "I know I know that abbreviation from somewhere, but I honestly just got up and my head is pounding, Ben."

Ben pulled out his phone and looked something up with pinched lips. He handed it to her, and Mal frowned at the screen. Her eyes flicked back and forth between what she was reading and what she saw on her paper. Then, she shoved his phone back to him and stood up.

"Mal-" Ben began, putting his stuff down as Mal's feet hit the floor. Her entire right leg felt numb and tingly, but Mal still headed towards the door. As he tried to shove his feet into some slippers, Mal's fingers tightened around the folder, and she raised it above her head to throw it to the ground. The folder split upon contact with the ground.

"Mal!" Ben called as she took the handle of the door and began undoing locks.

"I'm not doing this bull – ugh!" She screamed in rage. "That's ridiculous, utterly ridiculous and – I'm done!" She opened the door and slammed it behind her before she headed off in the direction of her old room, leaving behind the doctor's scribbles and their wretched findings of her bloodstream. Specifically, the high presence of hCG hormones. Because she was done with that. She was done with awful emotions and the fear of living, and she didn't want to start that roller coaster again.

She really, really didn't want to be pregnant.

* * *

"Okay, I get being angry and upset with me for a night and going back to stay in your old room. I got it. But please tell me you're not _actually _going to sulk and ignore me all day," Ben grumbled from the door of her office. Mal put her head down further and glared at her papers as, beside her, the sun continued to rise.

"Come on." Ben sighed, taking an extra step into her office. "Let's talk about this."

Mal shook her head, but Ben shut the door to her office and took a seat. He brought it in front of the desk. She ducked her head even further, which was awful on her spine and shoulders, but whatever.

"You're not crying like you were the first time." He sighed. "Come on, our communication was dirt last time. Talk to me."

She shook her head and turned her chair away from his. "What are we going to talk about? To you, there's no reason we shouldn't. I've been in therapy for months, my spine is well enough for you and me to be together, and Evie just had her baby and she's the happiest person on the planet, so it's obviously the correct decision for us."

"Except for the fact you get mad and stop talking to me every time we go through this." Ben sighed. "And, you know, your nerve damage, and the fact Evie's baby will never have to rule a country." He put his fingertips together. "What do you need? What can I say? What can I do?"

"You can just… be quiet," Mal snapped. She slumped her head back, and her side stretched painfully. "This is so unfair! I mean, we used protection!"

"Well, it obviously worked really well," Ben sighed. He reached a hand across the desk and Mal sighed before she put her hand in his and let him squeeze it. He kept his eyes on her. "You're not crying this time," He mumbled.

"I guess that's a good sign?" Mal shrugged. She closed her eyes. "I… can't stop anything now. But I'm not having a breakdown like I did last time. I'm scared still, but I'm doing okay. Maybe… I can deal with this? But, slowly, and with a plan." She let out a long, deep breath, and opened her eyes. Mal turned her chair back around to face Ben and hummed.

Ben gave a tight little smile and stretched his hand across the desk. He cupped her cheek gently. "Are you sure?" He whispered.

Mal nodded and closed her eyes a minute as she leaned into his grasp. She let out a little breath. "You just… you have to give me some time," She mumbled. "This isn't easy for me."

Ben nodded and traced his thumb over her cheekbone. She opened her eyes. "Are you happy?" She whispered.

Ben frowned. "About… you?" He asked.

"Yeah." Mal nodded. "Are you happy now?"

Ben looked into her eyes like he was trying to see past the color and read her thoughts as they appeared on her mind. "I'm happy for the future," He told her. "But I'm always going to be sad about the one we lost. I'm sad because… I'm always going to wonder what they were going to be like. It's going to take me a little while longer to stop missing them so much. I guess… you'll have to give me a little time too."

"I thought you wanted a baby?" Mal frowned.

Ben shook his head with a sigh. "If my mom died I wouldn't want another mom; I'd want the one I had in the first place. I'm sad because they died before I ever got to know them."

Mal bit her cheek and nodded. "Okay, She mumbled, finally feeling like she understood a little. She put a hand to her belly and let out a breath. "Well, I can't do anything about the first, but I'll try hard with this one, okay?"

"I know," Ben agreed with a heavy sigh. "I'm not worried about you trying to dodge me this time."

"No alcohol this time," Mal promised. "And no breakdowns and no silence." She nodded and swallowed. Boy was this going to be hard.

A knock came at the door. Mal glanced at her watch. "That's my nine-thirty meeting," She grumbled. Ben let a smile spread across his face as Mal pushed herself up to stand and sighed. "What?" She asked.

Ben just shook his head. "I'm just glad you're here," He told her. "I'm glad I have a queen. I'm glad she's hardworking and brave and patient with all the crap we have to put up with together." He took her hand and kissed it to his mouth with a smile. Mal let out a little sigh of contentment, and then the person behind the door knocked again. He let her hand go, and Mal took the last few steps to the door and opened it. Princess Anna of Arendelle was behind the door, holding a stack of binders and folders.

"Sorry," Mal apologized as she stepped aside and let Anna slid in and drop her things onto a chair with a heave of breath and a thud. Two guards slipped in behind her as Mal continued talking. "It takes me a while to get up and get to the door sometimes."

"I'm the same way when my husband's in the room." Anna laughed and winked at Ben. "I just don't want to hold onto this any longer. I can wait outside a bit longer if you want."

"That won't be necessary. I have my own things to go get done." Ben sighed, leaning in and kissing Mal's cheek. "Oh, um, can you make it to the Auradon Service Festival on the second of June? Saturday."

"Depends, are you going to be there?" Mal asked, and then nodded. "Yes, I can."

"Okay, fantastic. And sorry, you're doing that one by yourself. It's supposed to make you look good." He laughed, and then his expression softened about. "And, um, what we were talking about before should probably remain-"

"Classified; I know." Mal cut him off as she retook her seat. "Well, I have a meeting to start. Bye Ben."

"Ouch, dismissed." Ben laughed, walking backwards to the door.

"Hey, someone's got to remind you where you stand in the world," Mal chuckled. She blew him a kiss, and then he disappeared around the doorframe. Anna began opening folders. Mal opened a compartment in her desk for a binder of her own, and the workday began in a dizzying, slow pace.

* * *

"What was being a queen like back before it had all the attachments?" Mal asked as she walked with Belle through the gardens, letting her mother-in-law examine all her orchestrating. Belle hummed at the question as she paused to smell a rose and tuck a strand of slowly greying hair behind her ear. Mal pulled her hat down over her eyes a little more as she watched Belle straighten her white shirt and then they continued onwards.

"Difficult, but in the sense that I didn't have much power," Belle decided. She fiddled with her purse with a frown. "Everyone had their ideas of what Adam, the king, was supposed to do, and in the first days, I felt like an afterthought who was only there to have Adam's children. So I had to fight a little bit to take power away from Adam to give to the Queen instead because I knew my descendants would need to learn to be equals with their partners instead of dictators in their love lives. I mean, can you imagine if Ben had absolute power and your responsibility was to look good by his side until the future heir was born?"

Mal wrinkled her nose. "I dislike the meetings, but if he had that, I wouldn't have gotten married." On the one hand, she'd be free to paint and draw all she wanted. On the other, she'd be treated like a doll, hidden and only taken out to be shown off, and that thought displeased her so much she immediately felt indignation towards the Ben that would have had absolute power had his mom not divided the roles.

Belle nodded in agreement. "Yes. I forced Adam to relinquish his hold on the grounds and then the wealth of the palace. All of the money rests in the queen's hands. He kept the guards; I became the palace spokesperson. And then I was the one who forced him to pass all the rules regarding who the future king was allowed to sleep with, and rules regarding the heirs to the kingdom, and things like that. I wasn't worried about Adam not following any of it, but who knows what our descendants will end up doing when we're dead and long gone?"

Mal bit her cheek and nodded. "Ben and I will have to do our best not to raise any delinquents then," She stuttered.

Belle waved her off. "You'll do fine," She exclaimed. "Just don't spoil them. They'll grow up knowing they're going to inherit the kingdom, and you can't let them get a big head."

"Is that why you named Ben Florian?" Mal asked with a laugh.

"It was also his grandfather's name," Belle replied innocently. Mal burst into laughter and immediately winced as sharp pains ran through her sides. Belle set a hand on her shoulder. "Pain, still?" She asked.

Mal nodded and swallowed. "Yes – it's permanent. Have I told you… the doctor who was visiting me last November and December said I might suffer… more permanent damage if childbirth is too hard on me."

"Permanent damage?" Belle frowned, knitting her eyebrows together in concern. Her fingers tightened a little in worry on Mal's arm.

"Brain damage," Mal expanded. "From the pain. He didn't give me any specifics on what that could mean though, but he didn't look happy about it."

Belle's face went very pale. She took her hand back and wrung her fingers together. She swallowed. "Well," She sighed. "I – I'm sorry."

Mal nodded in agreement and mirrored Belle's actions with her hands. She cleared her throat. "I – actually – I'm…" She swallowed hard. "I am. Now."

Belle's chin lowered a little to her throat. "You are…" She trailed off. "Good heavens, are you serious?"

Mal nodded, staring at the concrete of the grounds. Belle covered her mouth. "Does Ben know?" She whispered. Again, Mal nodded, and Belle took a long, deep breath. "I guess… that's wonderful!"

"Is it?" Mal raised an eyebrow.

Belle deflated. "I don't know what to think," She admitted. "What do you think?"

Mal put her hands to her belly. "I don't know yet," She whispered. "Last time I was so scared and now I'm almost… indifferent. It's like I don't even care and I don't know if it's worse like this or if it was worse being angry and sad all the time."

Belle nodded and exhaled. "Well, best of luck," She whispered. "I wish… I wish it were different."

"Me too." Mal nodded. "But, either way, Auradon will have their prince or princess, and everything will work out."

Belle stared at her with increasing intensity. Mal felt like someone was running a metal detector over her frame as her mother-in-law's eyes bore into hers. "It doesn't have to always be about the kingdom, Mal," She murmured. "One day, you're going to wake up and realize that they're your baby too, and you won't want them to be Auradon's."

The former queen of Auradon turned and continued walking. Mal stayed stuck in place for a few more seconds and then took a few hesitant steps forward. She didn't think Belle knew her quite well enough to be able to guess that. Maybe another woman, but not Mal.

* * *

"Please kill me now," Mal groaned as she tried her best to find a comfortable way to lean against the toilet bowl, eyes squeezed shut and knuckles turning white as she clenched her fingers against the porcelain.

She felt Ben's fingertips pulling her hair back and away from her sweaty skin and heard him fumble for a hair tie in the bathroom drawer. "Shh," He commanded as he tied her hair back and then began to run his knuckles up and down her spine, lingering especially on her lower back where her backbone had broken and where the nerves were damaged. Mal tried to relax into his touch but her stomach was churning so badly she barely wanted to move.

"I wasn't this sick last time," Mal gasped. "What's wrong with me now?"

"It's common for girls to get sick for the first three months," Ben muttered. "Are you good now?"

Mal took a long, deep breath and then nodded, slowly prying her fingers off the porcelain. Ben sat up into her frame so she didn't have to support herself as much, even though she still couldn't lean. He flushed away the contents of her stomach while she focused on reopening her eye and straightened out her knee so she didn't accidentally hurt it again, leaning on it at a bad angle. His clever fingers began to work into the minor swelling that still existed around that joint as a breeze from the open windows of the bedroom filtered inside.

"This sucks," Mal announced.

"What part?" Ben asked. He leaned around her head – lucky boy, he could still do that – and began to kiss at her neck. Mal would have put her fingers up into his hair, but that kind of muscle movement required healthy, undamaged nerves.

"The sick part," Mal grumbled. "I get it, I'm pregnant. Does my body need to send me a colorful rainbow to let me know what's happening inside of me?"

Ben snorted. "Do you want anything?" He whispered. Mal shook her head, squeezed her eyes closer together, and pressed her frame into his until the nausea began to fade. He continued to kiss her neck and rub his fingers and the heels of his palms into her knees as she focused on the clean smell of the bathroom. After about ten minutes, she opened her eyes and watched Ben's hands as he rubbed her knee carefully.

"I'm okay now," She whispered, putting a hand on his knee. Ben nodded and kept going, biting a little to make her skin blush as she traced her fingers on his knee.

"Talk to me," She whispered after a while. "What's your… vision?"

"Vision?" He mumbled as he paused to take a breath and ask. "Of… us?"

"Yeah," Mal murmured. "Where do we go from here?"

Ben kissed her cheek and wrapped his arms around her. "I help you through this, taking things slow, and when it's over everything will be okay. And after that…"

"Be specific," Mal commanded. "I know you have your ideas. Go on, tell me."

Bens arm snaked around her torso to pull her even closer into his frame. He deflected the question temporarily to kiss more at her neck and then mumbled. "I can see you taking our baby over to Evie's house for playdates. And she'd be the most fabulously-dressed kid on the block, because Evie is going to make all sorts of things for them, and-"

"She?" Mal interrupted. Ben went silent, and Mal nodded. "Okay," She mumbled.

"Or he," Ben corrected. "But… I tend to imagine our kids to be just like you. Girls with magic and purple hair and green eyes."

Mal hummed, and a clock buzzed from their bedroom. Ben got up, forcing her to move her hands to support herself, and the nausea returned in an unpleasant fit of spinning. She could barely comprehend when Ben's hand appeared in front of her face, so she waved him off. "I need to sit here a bit longer. Sorry. Can you check the time?"

Ben's hand vanished and she listened to his footsteps fade. After a few seconds, a shadow descended across the bathroom floor. She heard Ben take a breath. "Um, are you sure you want to know the time?" He asked.

"What did I miss?" Mal grumbled.

"Not missed… you're missing a meeting with Camelot," Ben informed her. "I have, um, fifteen minutes before I have to be gone. Do you want me to go down and handle that for a few minutes?"

"Please," Mal mumbled as she felt her insides twist violently. "And – whatever I have next, tell them I'll be late."

"Got it," Ben whispered. He leaned walked towards her and hugged her. "You're amazing." He whispered.

"Ugh." Mal groaned. He stood up quickly and left the room, on his phone and calling ahead to her next event.

Mal put a hand to her torso and glared mentally at the small cell clump that resided there. "I don't like you," She told it. "You're making me sick."

Her only response was the rush of her stomach acid racing up her throat.

* * *

Mal threw her weight behind victims of attacks since she was currently struggling through her own recovery process. Palace approval rates bumped up a little but remained at a historical low in the wake of Harry and Uma's executions. They were, however, steadily rising.

June began to turn into July. Mal's sickness persisted, and word slowly began to spread as her meetings were scheduled more sparsely throughout the workday and servants began to talk.

"I heard an interesting rumor today," Adam grumbled at breakfast one day as Ben pulled out Mal's chair for her and helped her sit down. She skimmed the breakfast table, looking for something she might be able to hold down for her first meeting, and then made a questioning noise in the back of her throat.

"Is it anything important?" Ben asked, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

"Servants are saying you're sick," Adam announced, tucking his glasses into his coat lapel and addressing Mal.

Mal nodded glumly. "Yeah. It's awful." She sighed, picking at a piece of toast and then carefully taking a bite.

"Are you pregnant?" Adam asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mal spread her hands around her head a little. "Ta-da!" She mumbled, and then closed her eyes and put her head down on the side of the table. Ben immediately began to run his fingertips up and down her spine.

"About a month and a half in. The doctors caught it when she fell at Evie's," Ben informed his dad. "We're going to have to start telling people soon."

"Ben," Mal mumbled into her hand. "We should just text Evie."

"Evie will self-destruct if you text her that." Ben pointed out. "That's not the kind of thing you just text your best friend."

"No, you should text Evie and put in an order for a commission. And then ask her for a tiny outfit or something. That's a good way to tell her." Mal yawned

Ben hesitated, and then pulled out his phone. Mal watched through half-lidded eyes as he began to text. Adam cleared his throat. "Well, that's great. Soon, though. It's only been about seven months since your coronation."

"And still legal," Mal reminded him. So what if she'd been pregnant before Auradon knew she was married and so what if she was pregnant again so soon after her incident? Auradon could talk all they wanted – she didn't care.

She took a bite of her toast as Ben's phone buzzed. A stitch appeared in her side, but she ignored it as she tried to squint at his screen. Evie had asked what they needed, and Ben was typing out a description of a tiny white onesie with 'Little Addition' on the front of it. Mal couldn't wait to see what Evie's reaction would be.

"You have a meeting soon – crap," Ben announced as a banner appeared on his phone screen. "Doctor Horsley is coming up."

"I'll just take some stuff for later." Mal sighed. "Text me screenshots of what Evie does." She took a few pieces of toast and a few slices of strawberries and then left.

The stitch in her side grew bothersome as she took the elevator down to the office floors. Two guards were already waiting outside in anticipation of her meeting. Mal saluted them and then dug in her pocket for her key before she opened the door up and turned on the lights. She sat down with the door wide open and pressed her fingertips to her ribs. Interesting. She shouldn't be aching this much – not until the baby started to grow.

Mal's phone buzzed against the desk and she picked it up with a smile. Ben had just sent her the screenshots of his conversation with Evie. She skimmed the conversation with a smile.

"Wait…. WHHATT?" Evie gasped at the top of the screen.

"Think you could do that for us? We'll need it by about… February?" Ben continued. She could picture him holding back a laugh as he typed.

"Oh my goodness, oh my goodness, yes!" Evie cheered. "I'll get right on that." Then, cut off by the edge of the screen, Mal could see the start of another text. "Is Mal freaking-"

A knock at the door made her glance up. It was Doctor Horsley, holding his trusty blood reader. Mal let out a little groan when she saw him.

"Well, hello to you too." Doctor Horsley laughed as he set down the machine beside her desk and outstretched his hand to shake hers. I understand you got some good news a few weeks ago. Back in May?"

"I'm surprised you didn't break down my front door to make sure I was taking all my crap." Mal sighed. "Yeah, they took my blood while I was out and so Ben got to tell me."

"How did you handle that?" Doctor Horsley asked with a raised eyebrow.

Mal shrugged. "Okay," She mumbled. "I mean, I'm not thrilled, but I'm… fine." She gestured to the chair in front of her desk as her guards entered the room and took up a stance beside the frame. One of them drew the door closed as they stepped in. "Okay, what are we doing today?" She asked, searching on top of her desk for the ever-looming patient file.

"How has your physical therapy been going?" Doctor Horsley asked as he procured a zipper-locked kit that attached to the side of the machine and opened it. Inside was a tiny lance that was used to draw blood, some bandages, and lots and lots of paper strips.

Mal shrugged. "I can't turn my spine well," She told him. "My neck can't be rotated very far either and I still can't lift my arms. But I can get up and down with relatively little pain, and it doesn't make me tired to walk around the halls anymore."

"That's good." Doctor Horsley nodded. "It's a miracle. But still… we need to be careful with your body these next few months." He sighed and gestured for her to hold out her hand. She let him maneuver her fingers around to a semi-awkward angle and then angled the lance on the side of her finger. A sharp poke and a perfect spherical drop of blood appeared on her fingertip.

Her phone buzzed. Mal tried to glance over the screen as Doctor Horsley smeared the blood on a paper sample and then picked his reader up and began punching buttons. Mal blew on her hand to make the blood dry faster and then used her unwounded hand to hold her left side as she shifted uncomfortably.

"Does your side hurt?" Doctor Horsley asked, feeding the strip into the side and then programming it to read the information he wanted. He pulled a bandage out of his kit and began wrapping it expertly around her finger.

"It feels like a stitch. Maybe I walked down too fast." Mal hummed.

"Has it been there long?" Doctor Horsley asked. He put his hands together in a way that told Mal he was concerned. She didn't blame him – it was the side she'd been stabbed on, after all.

"No, only since I left breakfast." Mal directed her gaze back to her phone. It was only calendar alerts. Debra must be scheduling things.

"You mean since you took breakfast with you." Doctor Horsley nodded. "Keep an eye on it," He advised. "If it gets worse, we'll have to take a look at it." The machine let out a very loud, very sudden beep, and switched off. Doctor Horsley examined it with a frown. "Ah." He sighed. "I must have forgotten to charge it. My mistake." He took the machine off her desk. "I'll get back to you with your results before the week is up," He promised.

"Fine." Mal nodded approvingly. "So, as far as my nerve damage and everything is going, how am I supposed to be handling this pregnancy?"

"Carefully," Doctor Horsley warned. "This entire situation is dangerous. We don't want to open any old wounds or anything."

"So, where can I go? What can I do?" Mal wanted to know.

Doctor Horsley laughed. "What can you do?" He asked. "You can't turn your waist or neck and you can't move quickly. The concern isn't about you having to move. My biggest worry is that as you get bigger, you'll hurt that wound on your stomach by stretching it, and also those nerves – you can't avoid problems like those." He shook his head, putting a hand to his chin. "Don't go further than a half-hour away from any doctor's reach," He cautioned her. "I don't know how unsteady you'll be as you get closer to your due date, but another concern of mine is if you fall and hurt your spine more, we might not be able to let you go full term." He exhaled and shook his head. "I know these all seem like such small things, but to be honest there are just so many problems I don't know where to start."

Mal nodded as the cramp in her side flared up a little more. "Okay," She agreed. "I'll be careful. Honest."

Doctor Horsley snorted. "Yeah, no more getting stabbed on balconies, okay?"

"I don't know if I'll be able to resist the temptation." Mal mourned with an eye-roll. Doctor Horsley stared at her, tapping his fingers on the desk with a sigh. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"You're either bravely stupid or stupidly brave," He muttered as he stood up and extended his hand back over the desk to her. "I'll get you and Ben a list of things you need to watch out for. I don't want to put you on more probiotics or anything, but if that's what it comes down to, I'll let you know. Right?"

"Right," Mal agreed, shaking his hand. "Well, until next time, then."

The guards opened the door for him, and Doctor Horsley picked up his machine. With one last nod, he disappeared outside. Mal frowned and tried to lean back and forth as her side flared up in even more pain. How strange. She rubbed her thumb right above the area, and the burn faded somewhat. Mal shrugged it off and returned her focus to work.

* * *

"What do you want for your twenty-fifth birthday?" Mal asked. She was at Auradon prep, in the kitchens, putting a sheet of cookies into the oven. The scene was so strange she stopped and examined the baking mitten covering her hand, and then looked back over to where Ben was leaning against the table, scraping the inside of a bowl with a spatula. His hair was a little messy, and he looked a bit younger.

"Twenty-five already?" Ben chuckled and shrugged. "I don't need anything else. All I want is you."

Mal found herself rolling her eyes as she stepped towards him, pulling off the mittens and settling them down on the counter before setting her hand down on his. "Come on," She scoffed. "You already have me." She set her hand on top of his, and they watched the diamonds sparkle on her hand with bright smiles. "How about… enough love cookies for everyone in Auradon?" She waved her hand to accentuate her point and suddenly, out of thin air, her request came to life. Dozens of trays full of steaming walnut and chocolate-chip cookies appeared around the room, extending as far as the eye could see. "Then we wouldn't have to deal with everyone hating us," She reasoned.

Ben waved his hand at the trays and, as quickly as they had appeared, they vanished. "I don't want all of that." He laughed. "All I want is you."

Mal groaned. "Come on!" She pleaded. "There has to be something I can give you."

Ben continued laughing. The corners of his mouth turned up pleasantly and he closed his eyes for a second before he shrugged and met her gaze. "A day off would be nice." He shrugged.

"Agreed." Mal laughed, jumping up onto the counter. She rolled her head on her shoulders and brushed her pants off. "What else?"

Ben reached across her lap for her hip and pulled her along the counter towards him. They leaned their foreheads together and Mal watched him close his eyes in bliss as his hands cupped her hips. "You know what I really want?" He whispered.

"Hmm?" Mal asked, turning her attention fully toward him and wrapping her feet around his back.

Ben leaned his head against her shoulder a little with the same restful smile on his face. He looked like everything in the universe had suddenly fallen into place. And she loved it really – that she could give him this kind of peace. He smoothed her shirt over her hips carefully and she felt his breath skim her neck.

"I want a baby," He told her. "I want a baby with you." And his answer threw her off because hadn't Ben just been telling her a while ago that he didn't mind that she didn't want one right now? That seemed like a bit of a drastic… one-eighty.

"Well, I guess you're in luck." Mal hummed. "It won't be for your birthday, but hey, I'm already pregnant."

"Really?" Ben gasped, stepping back a little with wide eyes. He examined her face for any hint of the lie. Mal raised an eyebrow.

"Didn't you know?" She asked him slowly. "You… you told me about it."

"That's amazing," Ben mumbled with a bright, breathless smile stretching across his face. He stepped back to her, hooked his hands underneath her thighs, and pulled her right off and against his chest. Mal yelped as he spun her around in a circle before he carefully set her down, keeping his hands on her jean pockets. "I'm so excited." He exclaimed, red-faced and in between heavy breaths.

"Ben?" Mal asked, but he continued with shaking hands that settled carefully on her hips and heavy breathing that smelled like mint and cookie dough.

"You're going to be amazing – you are amazing. And I'm so, so happy. This is just… the best news." He kissed her abruptly, long and smooth and soft. Mal waited patiently for the sick, drunken feeling, but it didn't come. A little weight settled into her stomach. Oh. This wasn't real.

"Do you… do you want to go away?" He gasped. "I mean, the kingdom… they're going to be so judgmental."

"Go away?" Mal whispered. "You mean… leave?"

"Don't you hate Auradon?" Ben laughed. "The politics and the drama and the news? We could go somewhere… far away."

His hands wrestled through her hair and his thumb dragged down her cheekbone. Mal swallowed. "And your parents?" She whispered. "Won't you miss them?"

"Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh." Ben recited. "You're all I need in life."

"Did you just quote the bible?" Mal asked. "That's so… good of you."

"Don't you like that?" Ben chuckled. He pulled her mouth up to his and started whispering words onto her breath. "We could leave and you could perform as much magic as you want. You'll never have to hide from the press. Don't worry about being a queen – why would you want that when you can be an enchantress? And now that you don't have the social stigma, you can yell at people to go away and you can destroy things and-"

"Stop," Mal cut him off, pushing his lips away with two fingers as she squeezed her eyes shut.

"What's wrong?" Ben whispered, taking her face in both hands. "You're sad."

"You make this so hard!" Mal sobbed as tears began to fill her eyes. "Don't you know I want to leave and that I wish I wasn't a queen? But it's not like I could leave when this is my _only_ shot at happiness."

"I'll leave," Ben promised. "I'll leave the palace and I'll give up my responsibilities and-"

"No, you won't," Mal exclaimed, breathing hard and wiping her soaked cheeks hastily. "You won't because then you'll be just as unfulfilled as I am. And Auradon would chase you down." She pushed his hands away and buried her face in his chest. "I just… wish we could. But so long as I have you, I'll be okay. I swear."

Ben put his arms around her without a word and began rubbing her back softly. Mal tried to remind herself that this was just a dream. He wasn't really here.

A stabbing pain started throbbing in her right side, so hard Mal flinched out of Ben's grasp, and suddenly he wasn't there. The pain continued, spreading all across her stomach in a horrible pattern of seizing cramps, and she felt warm sheets twisting at her arms.

"Ben?" She hissed through the pain and heard a mumble to her right. "Ben?" She cried again, more urgently as she grit her teeth through the horrible, horrible pain. She felt like she was being stabbed again. Or like someone was pulling needles out of her skin, one by one. Or even like she was being burned.

The weight shifted, and she heard someone grumbling, half-asleep, as they reached for something on the side table. Mal squeezed her eyes shut and her hands found the headboard to grip onto as the pain continued. There was a crash as something – the lamp – fell off the nightstand, and she heard Ben grumble in complaint before a phone light flicked on and he turned back over to examine her.

A stripe of something dark was down his shirt.

Ben's eyes widened and he jumped straight up. "Shoot!" He hissed and hurried to reach down, flip on the light, put it back on the table, and then his hands began to move in erratic patterns. They reached for her, flinched back, tried the pillows and the sheets and couldn't seem to touch them.

"It hurts," Mal hissed, closing her eyes and biting her tongue fiercely. "Can I – can I have some medicine?"

Something was wrong. Something was gravely, horribly, deathly wrong. Her stomach, chest, everything was on fire.

Ben ignored her plea and grabbed her arm. His grip was icy and cold. "Can you get up?" He demanded. "Can you move?"

Mal shook her head, tears falling down her face, and Ben resolved himself to a decision. "Bite your tongue," He demanded, and scooped her up into his arms, pulling her free from all the sheets that she suddenly noticed were… sticking to her.

Ben pulled her up into his arms, close to his chest and carried her into the bathroom. He put her down in the tub first and then got back up in the pitch black to turn the light on. As the lights blared to attention and he turned around in a blind panic, Mal got her first real glimpse at what was wrong and why everything hurt so much.

"Blood," She gasped, staring at his shirt, arms, and pajama pants. Everywhere was blood. There were heavy red splotches where he'd held her frame close to his and his arms had smears like he'd been through a paintball war. He might have been working with clay or paint for all the red that was on his fingertips, and still more was soaked into his clothes. "There's blood all over you."

Ben knelt beside the tub and examined her face for any scratches or blemishes. His eyes traveled down her frame. Mal followed his gaze and wished she hadn't. It looked like the night Uma had attacked her all over again. Her nightdress was soaked, sticky, dried in odd clumps and hanging in a heavy, waving manner off her frame. "Where's it coming from?" He whispered.

A stabbing pain ran through her side and Mal swallowed. Ben put his hand to her waistline, right where the pain was running like a live wire under her skin. "You're hurting," He whispered. "I'm calling a doctor."

"No," Mal declined, trying to sit up more. "Help me first. I need to get this-" She tried to reach for her hemline and horrible, horrible stabbing pains arced through her spine. Her nerves had decided to join the party.

Ben carefully helped her peel the nightgown off her body and then turned on some warm water. Carefully, Mal rinsed off the thick layers of blood, gritting her teeth against the pain. God, it was everywhere. Up and down her legs and covering her abdomen and even in between her toes. And it was all coming from inside of her. No lashes or new wounds.

"How badly is the bed ruined?" Mal asked as she watched clear, dark pink liquid rush down the drain in a little whirlpool.

"I was a bit more worried about you." Ben's voice cracked and he cleared his throat. "It's… messy but replaceable."

Mal closed her eyes and shook her head. "Can you… can you get me some medicine? And call a servant to bring some new sheets and covers up?"

"I'm going to call a doctor first," Ben resolved, getting to his feet.

"There's no point." Mal shook her head, grabbing his sleeve to keep him from retrieving his phone. "They'll lock the whole palace down and wake up Belle and Adam. We'll call Horsley in the morning." She watched more red go spiraling down the drain and swallowed.

"You're covered in blood – there's no way I'm not calling a doctor," Ben protested, staring at her incredulously.

"There's nothing they can do. I'm… losing the baby," Mal admitted, biting her lip and closing her eyes.

There was a long, long pause. She heard Ben swallow. "Well, I figured that," He lied in a scratchy tone. "But I'm still… there's got to be something."

"It's a miscarriage," Mal mumbled, pinching the bridge between her eyes. "All we can do is… control the bleeding." She shook her head. "I'm going to need some feminine things from under the sink, Ben. Can you bring me some new clothes? And some medicine, so I can move?"

For several seconds, he didn't move. And then she heard his feet sticking to the floor as he returned to the bedroom and heard him rustle a little in the dresser before he came back in and put her things on the floor beside the tub for her. He disappeared a little longer and then returned to put a few pills into her hand. Mal couldn't look at him as she focused on washing the rest of the blood off of her. He wandered back into the bedroom when she started to relax under the effects of the drugs. She heard him changing his clothes and stripping everything off their bed before she turned the water off, stood up, and used a wad of toilet paper to stay the heavy bleeding for five minutes so that she could get dried off and redressed. She stood in the doorway to the bedroom as Ben pulled the last sheets of the mattress off and together, they stared at the soaked mattress.

"It went all the way through?" She whispered.

Ben nodded and turned to face her. She let out a sigh and covered her eyes with her hands before she took a deep breath. "Let's go down to my old room," She whispered. "There's enough room down there."

Ben swallowed and took their phones with the chargers from the nightstand. He opened the door and they walked down through the halls in the very, very early morning.

Mal's room was cold and smelled more like her. Mal looked out the windows and could see the very, very faint outline of the horizon. The sun hadn't even started to come up yet.

Ben sat down on the edge of her bed and put his head in his hands. Mal looked over at him and then sat down beside him carefully. "You okay?" She whispered.

Ben shook his head. "I can't believe we're going to try and go to sleep like that didn't even happen," He whispered.

"You have stuff tomorrow," Mal reminded him. "It's almost Sunday. But not tomorrow."

Ben didn't answer. Mal sniffled, and he put his hand down on hers before they both laid down together. Ben pulled the covers up over their necks, and she fell asleep by burrowing deep into Ben's shoulders.

* * *

Sunday. There was no work. There was nothing to be done. She sat in the dining room with a paint palette and a dozen small brushes and a beautiful piece of blank paper. Ben sat beside her, watching with a blank expression as she traced beautiful little lines into the pattern of a little lizard curling around a large blue rose.

As she worked on the details of the scales, her and Ben's phones buzzed simultaneously on the table. Mal glanced at them as Ben leaned over and examined the message. "What is it now?" She asked.

Ben cracked a smile. "It's okay," He promised. "We have guests joining us for dinner."

Mal frowned and added a little more water to her paint with a small flick. "Who?" She asked.

"Friends." Ben smiled. "Jane and Lonnie and Doug and the VKs."

"Ah." Mal swallowed. "Poor Evie… we have to tell her about-"

"Shh," Ben cut her off, looking downcast. "I know."

The minutes ticked by slowly, and then the doors to the dining room opened. "Ben? Mal?" Someone called, poking their head in. It was Lonnie, who was beaming as she spotted them. "Ah, here they are guys!" She called behind her and hurried into the room. "Oh my goodness, it's great to see you guys again!" She exclaimed.

"It's great to see you too, Lon." Ben smiled as he and Mal got to their feet. Mal gave her friend a hug as everyone else – from Evie and Emily to Carlos and Dude – appeared.

"I heard good news from Evie." Jane smiled nervously at Mal with raised eyebrows. "Congratulations!"

Ben's smile grew a little tight while Mal's vanished altogether. "Oh," She mumbled.

"I'm so happy for you guys!" Lonnie cheered. Her cheeks were flushed bright pink. "I have to tell you guys something now – you'll be so excited!"

"What?" Ben asked, sighing a little and sitting back down.

"Wait!" Evie interrupted, procuring a white box from under her arm and handing it to Mal with a bright smile. "Ta-da!" She announced.

Mal felt sick to her stomach as she stared at the box, knowing what was inside. She swallowed and began to lift the top with shaking hands. Then she cleared the tissue paper and held up the small onesie Ben had requested from Evie, with the colorful patterns and the cute words on the front. Mal stared at it, and then put it down without a word.

The table grew silent. Evie bit her lip worriedly. "Do you not like it?" She asked, putting Emily up over her shoulder.

Mal cleared her throat. "I… miscarried," She announced, tracing her finger in small circles on the wood of the table. "Two days ago. We haven't really… gotten the word out yet."

Everyone stared at her incredulously. Mal swallowed and turned her gaze away. Ben reached across the corner of the table and squeezed her hand. Slowly, everyone grabbed a chair and sat down. No one was quite sure what to say as they all looked at the tiny outfit that Evie had so carefully crafted.

"Are you okay?" Jane whispered, finally.

Mal nodded without a word, squeezing the life out of Ben's hand. Carlos cleared his throat. "What happened?" He whispered.

Mal closed her eyes. She knew she had to talk, because Ben really, really didn't want to talk about it. "The doctor hasn't gotten back to us yet. He called the morning after it happened and told me based on the blood work that I'd lost it, but we, um, had already figured that out. So the baby has been gone for about five or so days."

"So… wait, I'm confused," Jay trailed off. "How did you know it was… gone? I mean, if the doctor called you afterward, then…"

"Bleeding," Mal explained softly. "I bled and that's when I realized it was gone."

Ben was shaking his head next to her, still not saying anything, and she knew he was picturing the sight of her covered in all that blood. Mal shook her head and turned her gaze to the ground. "Well, um, we're okay. We are. And everything will be fine." Mal let out a little breath and put a small smile on her face before she turned to Lonnie. "What were you going to say?" She asked.

All of the color drained out of Lonnie's face. She had pulled up a chair beside Mal's and was resting her hands on her knees. She glanced back and forth between everyone else in the group, specifically Jay and Mal. She looked absolutely terrified.

Lonnie cleared her throat as everyone's gazes stayed on her and shrugged nonchalantly. "Um, no – nothing!" She squeaked. "I was, um, talking about the, um, the…" Her eyes darted around the room. "The, um, clothes Evie made. Yes!" She slumped into the back of her chair and wouldn't meet anyone's eyes.

"Lonnie?" Mal asked, confused.

Lonnie pursed her lips together and stared at Jay in panic, urging him with her eyes to do something. He, however, looked to be at a complete loss. Lonnie swallowed and pushed her bangs out of her face. "Jay and I picked a final date for our wedding," She mumbled. "We're going to do September the ninth."

"I thought you were pushing it back more for Lonnie's job?" Mal asked, frowning. "Weren't you planning for spring?"

Lonnie deflated, carefully avoiding their gazes, and something clicked in Mal's head. She set her hand down and glanced around the table at everyone. "Someone say it," She commanded sharply. Jane, Carlos, Jay, and Evie all flinched.

For several seconds, there was silence, and then Lonnie put a hand on her belly as her eyes filled with tears. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "I had no idea what you guys were going through – I never would have said anything if I'd known."

"You're pregnant?" Mal mumbled, watching Lonnie as she turned her gaze away in pain. With a quick nod, she affirmed everything.

Ben relinquished Mal's hand like he'd been shocked, and a horrible gasping sound escaped his throat. He sounded like he'd been shot. "Ben?" Mal asked as he stood up, pushing off of the armrests on his chair and stumbling a little.

He waved off her concerns, then shoved his hands deep into his pockets and gave a shaky nod to everyone in the room. "I'm just going to take a walk," He whispered. Everyone watched silently as he headed for the door, and Mal swallowed as he disappeared. She turned to Lonnie, painting that same, bright, political smile onto her face to hide her worry and shock.

"How far are you? Won't the dress show your bump?" She asked.

Lonnie shook her head with tears falling down her cheeks and refused to say another word. Jay cleared his throat. "She's a month in," He mumbled. "And that's why we're having it so soon. She doesn't want to be showing in all her photos."

"You could always do it the royal way and have it next Friday." Mal laughed. "But hey, I'm happy for you guys. How long has it been?"

"It will have been two years of engagement on September fourth." Jay laughed. "We are… we're certainly holding it out."

"No kidding." Mal rolled her eyes. "I never would have survived that long. The press was unbearable as it was."

Lonnie wiped her cheeks and sniffled. "Well… it worked for us. We liked the flexibility."

"Have you told your parents yet?" Mal asked. "Are they mad?"

"My dad is pissed," Lonnie mumbled and hiccupped. "Mum… she kind of rolled her eyes and I think she and my grandma were passing money underneath the table."

Everyone burst into laughter imagining Mulan, with grey streaks in her hair, exchanging coins with her mother while Shang glared Jay down. Mal nodded with a soft smile. "I'm happy for you. That's amazing. Maybe if it's a boy we can set you and Evie's kids up when they get older." She picked up the box with the onesie and put the cover back on. She swallowed and stared at it, unsure of what to do.

"You don't have to keep it, Mal," Evie whispered. "I understand… it hurts."

"I'm fine," Mal insisted though she was starting to feel a bit irrationally angry about the whole thing. Lonnie was pregnant now? And Evie had her baby and now Mal had lost two. This didn't seem fair at all. "It's Ben I'm worried about," She admitted as she turned and held the box out to Lonnie, who stared at her incredulously. "Do you want that?" She asked. "It might as well be used."

Lonnie took the box with shaking hands, looking sick. Mal turned and picked up her paintbrushes to keep painting, and then set them down again. She bit her lip. "Actually… would you guys mind hanging out here for just a few minutes? I want to check on Ben and make sure he's okay. He's, um, not taking this well." She pushed her chair up and carefully got to her feet.

Evie nodded. "Take your time," She mumbled, squeezing Emily in her arms a little.

Mal left the room and felt a breeze blowing in from the doors that led straight to the outside and connected to the driveway and east side parking lots. Ben must have left the door open so someone could find him if needed. She stepped towards the outside doors, slipped out, and latched the doors behind her. The sunshine beat down on her skin, and she grumbled as she covered her eyes. She looked all around and then took a few steps forward. Her toes found the edge of a step and she grumbled as she glared down at the concrete and carefully tried to shift her ribcage to take a step down. She couldn't.

"Ben?" She called, gritting her teeth as she tried to maneuver past the steps. "Ben?"

"Here." A voice came, and she looked up as he appeared, walking towards her. "Do you need me?" He asked.

"I can't get down," Mal admitted with a scowl. Her voice dropped into a whisper even though no one else was around. "Can you help me?"

A small twinge pulled at the corner of Ben's mouth. He stepped towards her and swept her off her feet. Mal cried out in pain as her side crumpled against his chest, and then laughed a little to let him know she was okay as he put her down in front of the steps. She patted his chest as she slowly straightened up. "You haven't done that for years." She laughed. "You used to try and pick me up all the time."

"Every time I saw you." Ben nodded. "Before you lived here."

Mal nodded and put her hands on his cheeks. The effort was hard on her shoulders, but she ignored it as she pulled him down and kissed him, hard.

She hadn't even realized all of the weight that was on her shoulders until suddenly it was falling off of her, and she felt lighter. Ben relaxed under her fingertips and kissed her back.

They ended up on the hot pavement, on the steps, kissing each other over and over and growing more and more incoherent. Slowly, they descended into absolute drunkenness and, seconds before Mal passed out, she felt Ben let out a breath and let her go, wrapping his arms around her instead.

"You're not okay," Mal gurgled a little, closing her eyes and leaning into his shoulder. Ben sniffled and squeezed her tightly. "Want to talk?" She whispered.

"What's there to talk about?" Ben rehearsed lamely. "There's not much we can do about it."

"But you're sad," Mad prompted.

"Yeah," Ben hummed. "It's sad. I'm sad." His arms moved to protect her limbs from the hot, overbearing sun.

"But it'll be okay," Mal reminded him. "It's not the end, you know."

Ben's arms constricted, squeezing her tightly into her chest so suddenly her breath was stolen from her lungs. "I'm worried," He whispered. "I know this is all soon, but every miscarriage just… lowers the chances of a successful pregnancy. I'm just… anxious."

Mal sat back up, pushing his arms away a little. "You… you're worried I can't do this?" She asked, furrowing her brow.

"I have no doubts about your determination to try, but Mal, you were stabbed. What if there's more permanent damage or even shock traces? What if – what if it's just not feasible with your wounds?" Ben tried to meet her eyes and found he couldn't. Mal stared at him in increasing horror. "I can't… I don't want to have to let you go."

Mal felt like she was being squeezed through a very tight tube. She swallowed. That's why he wanted this so badly. That's why he was so desperate. A baby – with her, by him – ensured that he'd be able to keep her forever. He wouldn't have to let her go. It ensured – guaranteed, really – that they would get their Happily Ever After. And suddenly she wanted it just as much as he did. She put a hand to her middle, suddenly realizing with growing mourning exactly what they'd lost. She squeezed her eyes shut.

"I'm going to go down to the hospital tomorrow after work," She declared. "And I'm going to get everything checked out and I swear, I'm going to make this happen." She got to her feet shakily – with her head spinning all the way.

"You can't just – make this happen." Ben frowned, grabbing her hand. "Mal, we have to take this slowly. I know you're scared. You know – you know I'm scared too." He paused, squeezing his eyes shut and getting to his feet slowly. "The more time we wait though, the safer this will be and-"

"I have waited," Mal spat with angry tears filling her eyes. "I waited eight years and then I waited all that recovery time and all these ten months we've been married and I'm sick of waiting, Ben. I'm always waiting for the government to decide they hate me, to decide I can't be with you. I'm sick of waiting for the moment we have to break up; I want to start waiting for the moment I finally get to be with you forever and ever without people always trying to break us up."

"We need time," Ben insisted. "This entire year has been a wreck, and we just need some time to let you heal, to let me heal, to get everything under control and-"

"I'm going to go in," Mal insisted. "Even just to make sure everything is fine. It doesn't mean I have to be pregnant by next month but, by God, I'm not going to wait eight more years to make sure I'm allowed to be with you,"

Ben deflated a little, still squeezing her hand as he nodded to her words. "Okay," He whispered. "Want me to come with?" He asked.

Mal shook her head. "No. I'm going to go out by myself this time. I'll take the guards though, just in case there are any stairs." That was a joke. She wasn't allowed to leave without guards. Ben nodded. She glanced back at the door. "You know, we're horrible hosts. You stormed out and I followed you, leaving all our friends alone."

Ben snorted and followed her gaze to the door. "We'd better get back," He agreed. Mal glanced cautiously at the stairs and started to take a step up. Ben scooped her up and set her back on the top of the steps with a smile. He opened the door for her, and together they slipped inside.

* * *

"Okay, I want to plan all of this out," Mal declared, sitting down in the living room as Evie followed behind her. Evie set Emily's little carrier down beside the couch as she gaped at everything Mal had laid out on the rosewood coffee table. Medical records, doctor's notes, her patient's file, palace regulation manuals and dozens of printed resources covered the abused space. "Where do I start? How much of this do I need to know?"

"Oh my goodness, Mal." Evie gasped. "Don't you think this is a bit… much?"

Mal ran her hands through her hair. "I want to get this rolling." She sighed. "Please, Evie, I need this."

"Mal," Evie met her eyes, looking a bit overwhelmed by Mal's tone of voice. "It's been, like, a week."

"Eleven days." Mal sighed half-heartedly. It was July ninth. She'd been momentarily rerouted in her quest while preparing for Ben's birthday on the fifth, but now she was ready to start planning things out. "Just… where do I start? What do I need to know?"

"Geesh, Mal." Evie sighed, sitting down and picking up Mal's two-inch-thick patient file. Mal remembered sadly the days it had only held two neatly-typed papers. "I have no idea. When Doug and I decided to have Emily, we just timed things around when I was bleeding." She sighed as she stared at all the doctor's scribbles that filled her file. "Is there a… calendar anywhere in this mess?" She asked.

Mal shuffled around a stack of books and held up a collection of calendars for the next year and a half. Evie reached for them, and a manual detailing who the royals were allowed to pass the crown to slid off the table. Evie caught it with her fingertips and put it back down in the center of the mess. "Your life is ridiculous," She hissed.

Mal snorted. "Only because I married a ridiculous person." She laughed and began to tap her foot to an invisible beat. R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.

Evie glared across the table at her. "I know what you're thinking," She grumbled. "Stop."

Mal burst into laughter and winced as her side stabbed her, yet again. Evie's frown grew deeper. "Mal, have you talked to Ben about this? You miscarried eleven days ago, you have permanent nerve damage, and-"

"I know the risks," Mal assured her. "I swear, I know. And yes, I've talked to Ben. This is… all we talk about anymore." She sighed and leaned forward, running her hands through her hair. "Listen, we're worried. I shouldn't have miscarried. We don't know what caused it; it could have been shock or residual damage or anything. But now I've officially lost two pregnancies and I'm scared. If I can't have a kid, then Ben will have to find someone else; that's just the way this works. And once there is a child, then that's, like, a guarantee. So long as they're there, I get to stay with him. So I'm begging you, Evie, help me figure this out."

Evie let out a longsuffering sigh and slumped into the couch. "Mal, you can't just have a baby to keep your husband. That's a horrible reason to become a mother. You're going to be responsible for bringing another person to life, and then raising them and loving them, and you need to make sure you're prepared for that responsibility."

"I will be." Mal sighed. "I will – I am." She let out a heavy sigh. "God, please, Evie, please."

Evie shook her head as she continued taking in the minefield of papers. "I don't even know where to start, M." She sighed. "I didn't have to deal with… permanent injuries and government codes." She put the patient's file down on the table and shook her head.

"Well, let's start simple," Mal exhaled, looking at all of the papers. "Let's say… A year from now I want to have a baby. In June or July."

Evie rolled her eyes. "Normally, I would say you can't just expect to get pregnant at a certain time, but you seem to have some pretty outrageous luck in that department," Evie grumbled and folded her arms. "It's actually insulting. Your problem isn't that you can't get pregnant, it's that you can't keep the pregnancy."

"It's not my fault I was stabbed," Mal grumbled and rolled her eyes.

"I suppose not." Evie frowned. She sighed and gestured for the calendars. "Okay, so June or July?"

"Yes," Mal agreed, sitting on the edge of her chair and looking over everything. Evie let out a deep, frustrated breath, and then they both began to pour over documentations together.


	9. Chapter 9

On September the ninth, Mal sat in the front pew of a church house with Emily in her baby carrier beside her. Little Emily was almost four months old. She was slowly figuring out how to turn her head to follow sounds and people, like her dad, who held her while Evie worked, Mom herself, and Mal. Mal was pretty sure she was only notable to the small child because of her hair color, but at least she was liked. Jay wasn't liked. Whenever Jay held Emily, Emily twisted up her face and cried.

"I think this is silly," Mal mumbled to Emily, using her toes to rock Evie's daughter back and forth. "What do you think?"

Emily let out a piercing coo that made Mal's ears ring. She snorted. "Yeah." She agreed, then leaned down to unbuckle Emily from her bindings. She carefully pulled the baby's arms through the straps and then lifted her onto her lap carefully. "You're a lot nicer to look at now that you have hair," Mal mumbled, running her fingertips over Emily's head, where wispy black strands flew out at odd angles. Emily babbled a little in response and then stuffed her entire tiny fist into her mouth. Mal snorted again as she tried to gum down on her fingers. "You know you don't have teeth yet, right?" She asked.

A weight fell into the chair beside her and Ben put an arm around her and kissed her forehead. Mal looked around. The groom's party had arrived, and Jay and Carlos were pushing each other as Lonnie's little brother Qadir tried to join in the fun. Lonnie's family was slowly arriving, filling up the right side of the room while Jay's side – the side reserved for his family – remained mostly empty. Mal swallowed.

"You doing okay?" Ben asked, running his fingertip around her earlobe.

Mal nodded and handed Emily to Ben, whose face brightened up. "Hello!" He exclaimed, taking the child and helping her support her back as he bumped noses with her. Emily shrieked suddenly and waved her little fist with an equally-bright but toothless smile. Mal was liked, but Ben was a favorite.

"I missed you," Ben told Emily. "I'm so happy I get to see you here." He cradled her into his arm and unclipped his watch so he could hold the silver face in front of her. At the glint of metal, Emily's eyes grew super-focused. She reached out with grabby, plump fingers and laughed when Ben moved it back and forth in front of her face. Mal snorted and leaned back into the pew.

"If you get any more sweet on her, I'll get cavities," Mal warned, leaning her head onto his shoulder and wincing as her spine protested any movement that didn't involve a rigid posture.

"I haven't heard you say something like that in years." Ben laughed. "Back when we first met it was all: 'I'm going to burn away if the sun gets any brighter', 'I'll starve myself if the cafeteria serves this again', and, my personal favorite, 'if you do that one more time, I'm breaking up with you.'"

"If you make one more joke about my sense of humor, I'm going to sit on the other side of the room, and you'll have to sit here alone." Mal threatened half-heartedly.

"I won't be alone." Ben laughed. "I'll have Emily to keep me company."

Mal turned around with a scowl. "Oh, I see how it is." She grumbled. "Well, you know what, I'll just… send something embarrassing to Auradon News; how about that?"

"Two can play at that game." Ben shrugged, smiling and waving at Emily. "Should I tell them about you trying to walk down the steps this morning or what it was like when you discovered the Strawberry Shortcake show?" He turned and raised a triumphant eyebrow at Mal as she sputtered in indignation.

"Well… you know what… I'll – ugh!" Mal crossed her arms and turned away from him. Ben laughed and put his arm around her, turning her back into his grasp. Mal obliged, fighting her screaming side for the right to lean against Ben's chest as Emily tried to grab the wristband without unwrapping her fingers. It wasn't working quite well.

Mal put her hand on Ben's chest after only a minute and tried to fix her spine. Ben lifted his arm off her shoulders in concern. "Oh, was I hurting you? I'm sorry."

"I'm fine." Mal sighed, waving him off and then carefully sitting up straight before she tried to put her head on his shoulders. Even that tiny misalignment hurt. She rested her hand back on his chest and closed her eyes as his hand drifted to her lower back and began tracing tiny circles over her scars, trying to soothe the agony.

"Where's my daughter?" Someone asked as they approached from the side. Mal could hear heels clicking on the floor behind her.

"What daughter?" Ben asked. "This one's ours. We've just finalized the adoption process."

"Oh, there you are." Evie hummed. Mal felt her friend lean across her and rub Emily's feet. "Hello, princess." She cheered and waved.

"How come you get to call her Princess and I can't call her Bertha?" Mal complained, opening one eye to watch Emily smile and gurgle at her mom.

"Because princess is cute." Evie frowned. "Don't call my baby Bertha."

Mal hummed, flicking her eyes towards Emily as Ben rolled his eyes at her. 'Bertha' she thought. 'Your name is Bertha'.

Emily laughed and tried again to reach for Ben's watch. Ben looked up at Evie. "Aren't you going to congratulate us?" He asked. "I told you; we just adopted her."

"She's mine," Evie replied firmly. She sat down with a sigh and slumped beside Mal. Mal frowned. It was so unfair that Evie could slouch when she was the one who'd been raised on good posture. "Lonnie is panicking." She grumbled.

"What?" Jay looked up from on the stand, quickly fixing his cuffs and his jacket. "Why's she panicking? We've still got a half-hour."

Mal closed her eyes as Evie let out a groan. "The dress is a bit… tighter than she was expecting, and also she's suffering from general bride stress. We have her breathing into a paper bag in a back room right now."

Ben tapped Mal's side and then continued rubbing circles on her spine. "Did you do that?" He asked.

"No." Mal shook her head. "No, I was ready."

"No, you were just abnormal." Jay rolled his eyes. "Lonnie and I are ready too. The fact you're ignorant to fear means nothing."

"It… kind of does." Mal shrugged with a smirk. "Besides, my wedding was the important one. An entire country was watching for it."

Ben scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Their wedding is important, Mal." He sighed. "I mean, come on, did you ever see 'I'm-going-solo-so-I-can-dance-with-them-all' Jay actually getting married?"

"And in a suit, no less." Mal snorted.

"How is my wedding anymore of a shocker than Mal's?" Jay asked with a frown as he stuck out his tongue at the purple-haired queen. "Shapeshifting daughter of Maleficent settles with the tame, quiet son of a bookworm? Anyone? And I'm wearing the suit because Lonnie's mom wanted her to wear a traditional kimono and I figured I had to make compromises." Jay crossed his arms as Carlos burst into laughter. Jay elbowed him sharply.

"I wonder if I would have permanent nerve damage as a dragon." Mal wondered aloud.

"You feel free to wonder that; I'm still going to choose to consider how our guards would react to you going up in smoke and growing scales and a tail." Ben laughed, staring off into the distance as if he could already see his general fumbling for some sort of protocol.

The room was beginning to fill up. Li Shang and Mulan wandered over to shake Jay's hand, and then socialize with the people on his side. Mal curled into Ben's side and put her hands on her side to give others the impression her side was hurting her so she could avoid conversation. Evie took Emily back so that she could show her daughter off to anyone who passed and then Ben began rubbing little circles into her back as she kept her eyes squeezed shut.

"You make sure our present was okay?" Mal mumbled.

"Everything is fine, I swear," Ben whispered back. He took his arm from around her so he could shake people's hands as they passed in front of him. Mal nodded and leaned into his shoulder until a hand appeared in her face.

"Queen Mal," Mulan greeted with a smile, reaching down and taking Mal's hand. She squeezed it carefully. "Are you ill?"

Mal sighed as Ben turned his attention to her. "Just tired." She mumbled. "It's nice to see you, Mulan. How have you been?"

"A lot better than you." Mulan snorted. "Have you looked at the cultural ignorance statements we sent to you last week?"

Mal closed her eyes. "I've received it, but I haven't looked too closely at it yet. Things… got in the way." She sighed lamely and curled into Ben's side. Ben hummed sympathetically and started running his fingers through her scalp.

"In the way," Mulan repeated, unimpressed. Mal sighed and squeezed her eyes shut. She'd carved out a lot of her week to meet with doctors, physical therapists, Evie and Ben to discuss long-term effects of children on her body, and then had barely kept up with work until they'd gotten everything figured out.

Ben sighed and patted her side. Mal hissed a little and batted his hand, and he straightened up. "Sorry, sorry." He whispered as tears stung her eyes.

"Fine." Mal grit her teeth. "I'm sorry, Mulan. I'll look at it tomorrow when I'm in my office. I just had lots that was going on this week; I'm sorry."

Mulan pursed her lips together but didn't say anything else. People began to be seated in nice rows and groups in the pews. Mal watched Lonnie's side fill up. Aunts and uncles from Shang's side of the family, Mulan's older daughter and her children, grandparents and cousins; the whole lot. They filled the entire right side, turning to laugh and chat with each other while Mal swallowed a little at the mostly empty left. Jay's old coach from Auradon prep was sat two rows behind them, along with his wife, and a couple of other members of the teams Jay worked with and a few of his private tutelages had come to see him, but they combined didn't fill more than seven rows compared to the tight-packed right side. Mal looked up at Jay, standing at the front of the room and smiling at everyone around him. He looked happy, and that was what mattered. If he didn't mind that his side was mostly unfilled, then Mal wouldn't mind either.

Ben flipped his watch up. "Ten minutes." He whispered and stood up. He helped Mal to her feet, and then she and he maneuvered carefully up onto the platform and into a side room. Behind the door was a black TV with several dozen carefully separated cords. Mal crouched down carefully and hooked a few things up before Ben pulled her back up. "Don't hurt your side." He frowned and took her place plugging things in. When he gave her a thumbs-up, Mal flipped the screen on and used a navigation box to control the television. A fuzzy picture appeared, full of browns and blues, and then slowly began to clear.

"Is it on?" Someone asked in a panicked, ruffled tone. The blue moved, and the camera sharpened, revealing an elder man with tanned skin, brown eyes, and arching eyebrows. He wore a long blue robe with intricate black and gold designs, and a large hat in the peculiar shape of a circle. His goatee was long and strung with grey, though it was groomed as the older man looked nervously into the camera.

"Can you hear me?" Mal asked, calmly, carefully.

"Yes," Jafar answered, removing his hat and twisting the brim nervously in his hands.

"Good." Mal nodded. "How are you feeling?"

"Well, well." Jafar nodded. "Is it, ahm, is it time?"

Ben got up from beside Mal and put an arm around her. "We have about eight minutes." He announced. "Though we can always buy a few more minutes if we need." He kissed a kiss to Mal's hairline as Jafar took a deep breath and put his hat onto his head again. "Do you want to invite Jay inside?" He whispered.

"I will." Mal nodded, slipping out from his grasp and stepping towards the door. She opened it and stepped out, letting the door swing towards the frame but not close as she met Jay's eyes on the stand. He was raising an eyebrow at her as if he was wondering what she was doing in the side room of the chapel. She beckoned to him. He raised an eyebrow at her, and then glanced at his watch. Mal beckoned him once more, and then Jay crossed the room slowly.

"What is it?" He whispered, furrowing his brow and glancing at the mostly closed door behind her. Mal opened the door and pressed a hand to her old friend's back to guide him inside.

"As king and queen, we were able to pull a few strings for you," She mumbled, and then shut the door as Jay took in the screen, Ben, and the person they were in a live video call with. Jay's mouth dropped open and his eyes grew wide. Jafar pressed his hands to his mouth, staring in shock at his son, and then abruptly removed his hat and began twisting it viciously in his hands.

"Dad." Jay gasped, taking in the sight of his elderly father. "You-you've changed."

"I see you have as well." Jafar wheezed, examining Jay's long hair and chiseled structure. "You… look so grown up."

Ben stepped out of view of the camera as Jay took a few steps back. He put his arm around Mal's shoulders as Mal fumbled for the handle. "We'll be just outside if you need us." He mumbled, and then he and she stepped out.

Ben took Mal to the front pew where Evie, Jane, and Belle had sat down to chat. The boys all seemed to be wandering around. Ben helped Mal sit back against the cold, hard pew and frowned as she winced. "Why are you hurting so much more than normal?" He asked.

"Some days are easier, and others are tough." Mal shrugged, and then pressed both hands to her side. She glanced at the door which hid Jay. "What do you think they'll talk about?"

"Lonnie." Ben shrugged. "And Jay. And Jafar's life the last few years. They have lots to catch up on."

Mal bit her cheek and nodded. Jay hadn't spoken to Jafar in… ages. She didn't think Evie had spoken to her mom since before she'd married Doug. She used to be like Mal, trying to make room for monthly meetings, but it was a lot harder when your mom was able to communicate back. Eventually, Evie got sick of her mom always lecturing her and gave up. As for Carlos, well, Mal didn't even know where Cruella was, much less how to get a hold of her. Cruella probably didn't know her son was taller than her now, that he'd married, that he'd graduated, that he was a teacher, or anything.

Ben squeezed her hands. "Are you thinking about Maleficent?" He whispered.

Mal's face contorted into a frown. "Well, I am now." She sighed.

Ben winced. "Sorry." He mumbled.

Mal shrugged. "It's okay." She, out of all her friends, had the most contact with her villainous parent. Maleficent was kept in the Auradon Reptile Protection Center, which housed mainly exotic and endangered species of snakes, lizards, and other scaled friends. Mal visited every month to make sure she was being treated okay and was okay and, you know, not gone. Because that would be bad; very, very bad.

Carlos wandered over to where they were and leaned over to whisper: "Where'd Jay go?"

"Our present," Mal replied. "His dad is on a video chat in that side room." She pointed to the door that hid the television and Jay behind it. "We paged the Isle about a week ago. Jafar was really… surprised to learn Jay was marrying and everything. We thought it'd be good to present an opportunity to let them catch up."

"What happens if Jafar blows up?" Carlos frowned. "I mean, last time we paged our parents, it didn't exactly leave the best impression."

Ben and Mal exchanged a glance, and Ben swallowed. "Jafar is sick." He told Carlos. "He isn't living with Cruella or EQ at all. This may or may not be one of the last times they'll ever talk with each other."

Carlos's face closed off, and he nodded in understanding. He looked over the audience and swallowed. "Maybe you should have sent him in sooner. The priest is here."

Mal tried to turn around and found her neck mostly immobile. However, she could see Ben's gaze trained on something moving behind her, so she assumed that what Carlos had said was true. Sure enough, an officiator in a white suit that reminded her of Ben's wedding suit appeared, walking up the aisle. Mal nodded along to Carlos's earlier statement and closed her eyes, leaning back into the pew. Ben let go of one of her hands and got off the floor so he could sit beside her. He leaned her forward a little and slipped his freed hand around her so he could start rubbing her back and soothing the irate nerves. "Do I need to send for anything?" He whispered.

"No." Mal shook her head. "I'm trying to get off the painkillers, Ben."

Jane leaned over and put a hand on Mal's shoulder. "It's time." She whispered. "Where did you send Jay?"

"Just into that room." Mal sighed. She got to her feet. Ben immediately jumped to her aid.

"Do you want me to go get him and you can stay here?" He whispered.

Mal shook her head. "No. No, I'll go. You go to sit with your parents. I'm going to get him." She walked away towards the door and twisted the knob to slip inside. Inside, Jay was crying, leaning against the television stand and staring at Jafar, who was crying equally as hard. She took in the scene as Jay turned his face away and scrubbed at his eyes a little. "It's time." She whispered. "Do you want to pull the television out so he can watch?"

Jay nodded hastily as he sniffled and composed himself. "I-I'd like that a lot. Yeah." Mal leaned down and revealed the extra coils of cord that attached the TV to power. She unraveled them as she and Jay angled the TV out of the room and then pushed it out and against the wall. They angled the screen away so that Jay, from where he was standing in the front, would be able to see him, but not many other people. Evie, who had gotten up with Emily in her arm to see what Mal and Jay were doing, looked shocked when she glimpsed Jafar. She hid away her baby girl before Jafar could see her and sat down beside Doug, looking shell-shocked.

"Thanks, Mal." Jay took a deep breath and put his arms around Mal. He squeezed her tightly, and Mal gasped in pain as she felt something in her back pop. Jay jumped back as Mal held a hand to her back and blinding pain forced spots into her vision. "Sorry, sorry!" He exclaimed.

"Fine – fine," Mal assured him, gasping and squeezing her eyes shut until she felt someone's gentle, cool hands take her hips and pull her back

"You're good," Ben mumbled, slipping her arm around his torso and smiling at Jay. "It's time. Good luck." Jay still looked guilty and worried as Ben turned her carefully to the pews and led her back to her seat. Mal bit her cheek in pain as she tried to mask her face over. They took their seats on the front row and Ben immediately began rubbing patterns into her skin, quickly finding the bruising area that had been disturbed. Mal sighed in relief as he focused on rubbing little circles into her spine.

"Your hands are magical." She mumbled as she closed her eyes and slumped towards him as best she could. Ben used his free hand to pick up her fingers and kissed her knuckles tenderly.

The organist began playing an intricate tune that sounded, for a few seconds, like a march before the crowd began to stand. Ben squeezed Mal's hand for a few seconds before they, too, got to their feet. The doors opened at the back of the room, and a gentle hush fell across the room. Mal felt a little dizzy as she watched a figure in a white dress – kimono style, like Jay had said – appear on her dad's arm.

Lonnie looked like a dream. An actual, untouchable dream who was floating on air, beaming brighter than the sun even as she shook underneath everyone's gazes. Jay, on the stand, straightened up and sniffled a little more as he took a step forward and held out his hand. Shang looked at his daughter, squeezed her hand, and gave her away to her new husband. The audience began to sit down. Ben's hands slipped around to her spine as he carefully helped her sit down.

For the duration of the ceremony, Mal sat in near-agony, biting her tongue and wishing she was at home, lying on her bed and clutching the headboard instead of digging her nails into her palms.

When the priest announced Jay and Lonnie husband and wife and told Jay he could kiss his new bride, Mal glanced over at Jafar and watched him burst into tears, using his large hat to hide the tear-stains down his cheeks as he peeked over the brim to watch the scene. A pang ran through her chest that had nothing to do with her old wound. She imagined her own wedding, with no one around, in the back of that pub in DunBroch and wondered what it would have been like if _her _mother had been looking in on that scene. Would she have been happy? Proud? Probably not, but for a few seconds, Mal tried to imagine what it would have been like to see Maleficent crying the way Jafar was, minus the hat, when she'd married Ben. And, unsurprisingly, she couldn't imagine it. Because Jafar had needed Jay on the Isle, but Maleficent had never needed Mal. They were two different worlds.

Everyone rose up on their feet as the newlyweds kissed, except for Ben and Mal, whose back felt a little bit like someone had replaced her backbone with a very large screw and was rotating it carefully towards her left hand. Ben kept a hand on her knee and the other on her back, glancing at her intermittently as she took slow, careful breaths and tried not to move her spine.

Mal watched Jay turn to his right and wave a little at Jafar. Lonnie glanced to where he'd gestured and clapped a hand over her mouth in shock. Jafar waved back, wiping tears out of his eyes as he beamed. Mal swallowed and put a hand on Ben's. She couldn't move her neck, couldn't lean towards him at all. "I need some medicine." She whispered under her breath. "As soon as this is over, can we slip out to the car?"

Ben's hand tightening on her knee was her only positive response.

* * *

As the reception began behind them, Ben kept an arm around her waist and her fingers crushed in between his. They took an exit out toward where the park was parked, and immediately an entourage of five surrounded them. Ben waved them off. "We're coming back." He told the guards. "We're just going to go sit in the car for a moment."

The guards nodded, and one of them paged the information to the others in their squadron. Ben helped Mal out to the parking lot of the church they'd gathered in as others flooded the attached park area to the church. Just steps away from the car, she felt her legs begin to give up. She stumbled, and Ben immediately swept her feet out from under her. Mal let out a strangled cry as her back moved, and something else popped.

Ben opened the car door and set her down on the door edge. Mal wanted to lie down on her stomach, but she couldn't risk flashing the outside world. Bad enough that she'd almost fallen over.

"I have everything here," Ben mumbled, pulling a plastic box out from under one of the front seats. "How bad is it?"

"Bad." Mal grit her teeth. "I don't… want it all, though. Just enough to help me walk and sit again."

"Your back popped." Ben reminded her needlessly. "Should I call your doctor?"

"No." Mal shook her head. "It's just pressure build-up. I don't exactly move my back a lot. Jay popped it too, when he hugged me. That's why everything hurt so bad during the ceremony."

Ben uncapped a couple of bottles and pressed the pills into her hands. He hesitated, and then took a sidestep to block her from the church's view. What's wrong?" Mal asked, frowning up at him before she clamped her hand to her mouth and swallowed everything he'd put in her hand.

"Just palace rules," Ben mumbled. "But it's okay. I'll just argue protocol again. It's a good thing you weren't born a royal."

Mal deadpanned, trying to remember what she wasn't supposed to be doing, and a memory tickled the back of her head. "I'm not supposed to be handling drugs without a doctor's orders." She remembered with a groan. "And I'm technically not scheduled to take some of those, right?"

"They're approved for intermittent use." Ben shrugged. "You should technically have a doctor here to oversee you taking them like I have for everything, but oh well. It's an emergency, and again, you weren't born a royal."

Mal rolled her eyes and scoffed. "That's ridiculous. So, so ridiculous." She turned and looked away from him, at the car and the fancy interior, and everything. "Why do we stay here? Why can't we just run away together?" She mumbled. It was so bright and loud… why couldn't they just leave?

"I have to rule the kingdom." Ben frowned. "You know I do, Mal."

Did he really, though? Couldn't they resculpt the system so that he didn't have to be king and then they could drop the whole monarchy idea?

Auradon officials would murder him in his sleep.

Mal nodded sadly and swung her legs back out of the car. "I'm fine." She grumbled. "Let's… go back up."

"Do you want to sit and talk a while?" Ben asked.

Mal shook her head, feeling empty and upset. "No." She declined. "I want to be there for Jay and Lonnie. Can – can we please go up?"

Ben nodded and put his arm around her to help her onto her feet. Mal winced as her back ached, but the fast-acting pain relief was staving off most of the pain. She'd soak in the tub when they went to the palace later tonight, and hopefully, all would be right tomorrow.

Guards encircled them as they walked up. Mal didn't meet any of their gazes and they stepped into the park area and watched from a distance as Jay and Lonnie thanked guests. Lonnie was holding her hands carefully beside her midsection as she stood tall beside Jay's side. Mal wondered what the family ancestors thought of Lonnie getting pregnant.

"Mal!" Carlos called from across the pavilion. Her head snapped towards him as she spotted his hand held high aloft the crowds. "Ben! Over here!"

Ben looked down at Mal and then they began to walk, as one unit, towards Carlos. As they neared him, they saw he'd pulled the TV set out so Jafar could attend the wedding party from afar. Jafar was talking to Mulan and Shang with tight lines in his face. Sweat fell from his brow, but he seemed to be acting civilly.

"Jafar wanted to talk to you guys," Carlos explained, spreading an arm to the TV set. Mal nodded and stepped within the camera's field of vision. Immediately, Jafar's attention snapped to her.

"Ah! Maleficent!" He announced, clapping his hands and relaxing a little.

"Ah, just Mal." Mal flinched as a couple of people glanced over. "Did you enjoy the ceremony, Jafar?"

Jafar's eyes filled with tears. "I had no idea." He exclaimed. "Oh, how grown-up he's gotten! What's that sport you said he plays? Why, I've never seen him look so… so…"

"Healthy?" Mal supplied, feeling guilty as she looked at the lines in Jafar's face. Not only were there children now trapped on the Isle, but there were also Elderly.

"Yes." Jafar nodded in agreement, looking satisfied as he craned his neck as if to see if he could spot his son. "All of you, actually. My, I didn't even recognize Cruella's son. He certainly filled out, didn't he?"

"It's been a long time." Mal nodded. "A lot has changed."

"A lot," Jafar confirmed. "Just look at you – Queen, a wife – I never would have dreamed those cards would be in your future!" He shook his head. "What about the other girl, the blue one? Oh, my memory deceives me…"

"Evie." Mal supplied automatically. "She's here… I think she's worried about what you'll say to EQ."

"I haven't spoken to Grimhilde in years." Jafar slumped forward. "Shortly after that boy called the Isle to speak to her, we – they – split." Jafar hesitated, and put his hat down, out of sight. It was looking very lopsided and sad anyways. "Did she end up marrying that boy?"

"She did." Mal nodded, brushing her hair out of her face. "His name is Doug. And she has a little girl now too. Emily."

Jafar's mouth fell open in complete surprise. Mal could only imagine what was running through his head. Maybe he was imagining what Evie had looked like growing up and trying to imagine her as a mom. "O-oh." Jafar gasped. "Why, EQ would be so proud of her."

"She's very happy." Mal agreed. Her throat felt a little dry, like she'd swallowed sand or a particularly tasteless sandwich. "Jafar, what do you think my mom would think of me?"

Jafar laughed nervously. "Ah, dear, let's speak of happier topics. We all know your mother's priorities."

Mulan frowned. She and Shang had remained standing beside the TV, though Mal hadn't taken much notice of them. "You're the queen of Auradon." Mulan disagreed. "Wouldn't your mother see success in that?"

Jafar exploded into incredulous laughter. "She hasn't done anything!" He proclaimed. "She hasn't brought down the barrier, hasn't corrupted Auradon, hasn't murdered her king and hasn't even resurrected Maleficent into her human form. By all accounts, she's a failure. She's fallen in love, gotten pregnant, been stabbed through the stomach, and is a permanent handicap. Maleficent-" Jafar broke off laughing as Mal took a step back staring at him in horror. The word reverberated in her head: 'handicap'.

Handicap. Broken. Damaged.

Ben put his hands on her hips from behind her and stopped her retreat as Jafar began to regain his senses. "Shh." He whispered as she opened her mouth.

Jafar looked up and recognized the shocked, hurt look on her face. Immediately, he grew repentant. "I'm sorry." He apologized. "I did not mean… I'm sure Maleficent would still see hope."

"That I'd turn evil?" Mal asked dryly.

"Well, you were evil once." Jafar shrugged, putting his fingertips together in thought. "You were the worst kid on the Isle, as was expected. I used to tell Jay he had to learn to be more like you. None of us ever suspected that you would become, well, you."

Mal swallowed hard. "I'm not going to turn back to evil." She insisted. "So, I guess there wouldn't be more than hope at all."

"No." Jafar shook his head. "I suppose not. And, I suppose, it's much better this way."

"Even if your mother wouldn't approve of the person you are now, I think it's safe to say you are an amazing, bright, strong young lady," Shang spoke up suddenly, stepping forward and setting a hand on his wife's shoulder. Mulan nodded in approval, but Mal still felt the black hole in her heart. Everyone in Auradon could be proud of the person she was. Everyone else could agree she was doing things right, which, of course, would never actually happen, but even if it did, Mal knew the truth. The approval of the whole world couldn't fill the void her mother left.

"Thank you." Mal inclined her head carefully and swallowed. "Jafar, what do you think of Lonnie, Jay's new wife?"

"She looks lovely." Jafar smiled. "You told me that she swordfights?"

"Very talented." Mal agreed. "She went with us to the Isle once."

"Amazing." Jafar hummed. He glanced at Mal. "I get the feeling you have something you want to tell me?"

"Lonnie pregnant." Mal confided. "They were going to push the wedding back into the new year, and then she found out."

Jafar's face took on a new light. He slumped back into his seat in shock. Ben frowned at Mal. "You should have let Jay and Lon tell him." He chided.

"They're busy," Mal replied flatly. "Can you let me go? I want to go grab some cake."

"You can't have any for another five minutes." Ben reminded her, holding fast onto her hips.

"It'll take me that long to walk over." Mal frowned and brushed his hands aside. Ben released her, and Mal turned and walked away towards the refreshments table. She spotted a guard on the corner of the property speaking into his walkie-talkie. Sudden, deep, spontaneous hate for palace security filled her.

She collected her strawberries and some cake and watched Jay take Lonnie over to the screen behind which Jafar sat. They talked animatedly, and then a look of apprehension fell over Lonnie's face. She put her hands to her belly, glanced cautiously at Jay, and then nodded slowly. Jafar started crying again, and then Mal caught Jay wiping tears out of his eyes as Lonnie let out a deep breath. Her heart twisted. Maleficent would never do that. She'd never be that for Mal. She was an unresponsive reptile that most of the time Mal just sat on the floor and watched through the glass, hoping her mom knew she was there.

Ben kept his eyes on her from across the wayside. Mal wandered a little closer to the gardens and then lifted her hand to beckon him towards her. Immediately, he set down the glass he'd picked up and wove his way through the crowds. He placed his hands on her side and bent down to whisper in her ear: "Are you okay? Does your side hurt?"

"Not so bad." Mal shook her head and used her left hand, the one that could go higher, to thread her fingers into his hairline and lean back into him a little. She closed her eyes against the sunlight and sighed. "I'm just thinking." She whispered as her back began to pulse a little from the stress she was exerting on it.

"Careful," Ben whispered, balancing her offset weight. He kissed her cheek. "About what?" He asked.

"My mom," Mal mumbled. "Just… wondering what she felt like, you know? Before she had me." She wrapped her free hand – the right one – around herself and sighed sadly.

"You were important to her," Ben whispered, taking her hand and pulling it off her frame before any paparazzi could spot her feeling her midsection. "To what degree and what emotion I don't know, but you meant something to her. She protected you. She worked for you."

Mal nodded softly. "I think she's a better mom than I've been so far." She sighed.

Ben frowned. "You weren't ready." He whispered. "We agreed on this. And we'll give it time. Everything will work out."

"At least I have your mom." Mal hummed. "She's a really amazing example. And, you know, she wanted you." She rubbed her fingers around Ben's ear as he hummed in acknowledgment.

"You know you don't have to do everything now," Ben whispered. "I know I scared you with that conversation but really, we have time. No one will come around trying to break us up until you're at least thirty-five." His words made Mal's fingers tense. She exhaled slowly.

"Evie and I already came up with stuff, and we're working with my own personal hospital's worth of doctors, and we think we have something relatively safe figured out." She mumbled, closing her eyes.

"Don't push yourself." Ben cautioned.

Mal hummed. "That's kind of the opposite of the idea." She told him. "It's still all so strange though."

"The doctors? Or not being able to move?" Ben asked.

"Thinking of having kids. I never wanted them." Mal corrected him. "And it's crazy. You know I've gotten pregnant more than anyone else in our group – combined?" She opened her eyes and looked up at him with arched eyebrows.

"That's not true." Ben shook his head. "Evie's been pregnant, and now Lonnie. That's two."

"Exactly." Mal nodded.

"Two is equal to two, Mal." Ben deadpanned.

"Evie and Lonnie, that's two," Mal explained, bringing her left hand down and holding up two fingers. "And then I got pregnant in November, lost it in December, and then in June, that's two, plus this one."

She kept her gaze on Ben as his mouth fell open a little. He took in a little breath. "This one?" He asked, slowly.

"This one," Mal affirmed, crossing her hands over her torso. "Right here."

Ben swept her off her feet and spun her in a little circle. Mal let out a shout as her spine twisted, and then laughed when Ben set her down. He kissed her cheeks and then hovered beside her mouth until Mal took hold of his suit and pulled him down to kiss her for a few quick, precious seconds.

Some people in the wedding party were looking over, wondering what was going on, but the majority of people hadn't noticed and had no idea what was going on. Ben laughed beside Mal's head. "You're sure you've got this figured out, though?" He asked.

Mal nodded. "It won't be easy," She warned, "But I want to be with you. I want to stay." She leaned her head on his chest.

"I won't let you go," Ben promised, twisting their fingers together with a laugh. "We're going to stay together, you and I. Don't worry."

Mal smiled at his words and closed her eyes, soaking up the sunshine and the laughter from the party and his steady heartbeat thrumming on her cheek.

* * *

"Evie and I are expecting morning sickness to run rampant through all these months." Mal sighed, drawing her finger down the stylish blue monthly planner Evie had given her. "And I'll be moody from here on out, and I'll start to show here, but the worst bit is right here, at the end of month six. The baby should be about a foot long and at least two pounds. That's the month we're expecting the severe pain to start. Doctor Horsley says I might have to be bedridden for the last three months."

"You're going to love that." Ben sighed, slumping into his chair. "And this is all worst-case scenario?"

"Middle-case, actually." Mal sighed. "Worst case I'll be in pain by month three or four, as soon as I start showing, and I'll be down by five, and four months of bed rest means my legs will lose motility, and of course we still have the threat of the pain being so severe it stops my heart or-"

"Hush." Ben winced, putting his head in his hands. "Oh god, I don't even want to hear it. What's the best case?"

"I have a below-average baby who doesn't get to be as large, I can walk throughout my pregnancy and hopefully not have to spend any time down at all," Mal explained. "But that'll take a lot of luck. What do we have from March to June?"

Ben looked down at the giant calendar on his desk and moved things aside so he could flip ahead to everything coming up. "Graduation, but we're not required for that." He sighed. "No upcoming Coronations, but one Cotillion from the seashore. He shook his head. "I can cover it all. And if I can't, I can ask Mom or dad to stand in."

"I should be able to do office work." Mal nodded. "But the guards will want me to keep in the palace, right?"

"You're not leaving." Ben shook his head. "Not a chance. We're going to have Doctor Horsley here at least every three days, and you probably won't be allowed on the grounds without your guards. This is… this is dangerous." He shook his head and covered his face with his hands. "Oh, this is going to be paperwork." He mourned.

Mal laughed. "Well, I have a reputation for causing that, right?" She asked.

"Not usually." Ben shook his head again. "Mal – aren't you afraid of all this?" He spread his hands over all her notes and her work.

Mal swallowed. "Yeah." She admitted, curling a hand around herself. "But all the different therapy and the plans… god, I'm desperate, I'll admit it, but I'm a planned desperate."

Ben swallowed and shook his head. "We need to get our bedroom and all the areas you want to be in cleaned and scanned." He sighed. "You're not allowed to be around, oh, what was it, mercury, x-rays, any sort of cleaners, windows that open to the inside, any and all sharp objects, the whole lot."

Mal wrinkled her nose. "Oh, you have to start obeying protocol now?"

"You're pregnant with the future heir to, well, everything." Ben nodded. "They – and you, until they're born, are under Heritage Guard, and you don't get to bend those rules because they come from the courts." He shook his head, leaning back into his chair and pinching the bridge between his eyes. "It's all about the bloodline," He mumbled.

"If you think about it, the palace considers me expendable." Mal hummed. "I mean, you can always marry someone else, so I don't need to have as much security."

"You're not expendable to me." Ben frowned. But they both knew she was right. Heritage Guard – Kingdom Guard – was a mess of genetic politics.

Mal turned a paper towards him with a small smile. "So… I was thinking something like this for announcing it to the kingdom." She smiled, watching Ben open his eyes and sit back up. He took the paper and skimmed it. Immediately, his mouth crooked up.

"That'd be a show." He laughed. "You don't have to host though. You're representing the Royal Palace now. You sure?"

"I'd better make at least one royal event before I disappear from under Auradon's noses." Mal laughed.

"Disappear?" Ben shook his head, setting her paper back down. "You kidding? This will be Auradon's most reported-on pregnancy for the next two decades. You've already lost one, you're the daughter of Maleficent, and it's a royal heir." He sighed.

"Joy," Mal grumbled. "But you just said I wasn't allowed out."

"I can guarantee now that we'll have people sneaking in." Ben rolled his eyes. "Which means Guards will be everywhere. It'll be fabulous." He hesitated, and then met her eyes. "They're going to make you quit your pain meds a week before you're due." He warned.

Mal's hands grew a bit clammy. "What am I allowed to have?" She asked.

Ben shook his head. "That's for Doctor Horsley and general of Guard to decide, along with interference from the courts, if needed." He informed her.

Mal put her lips together and nodded in understanding. "Well," She sighed. "Hopefully it's not a worst-case scenario or anything." She reached out and gathered up all her notes as Ben winced, covering his face. She patted his shoulder. "I'll be okay," She told him, even though the reminder that she'd be watched like a hawk and would be forced to endure the last few weeks med-free had her shifting her weight in her shoes a little bit.

"I'll try and make it up to you." Ben exhaled, pinching the bridge between his nose. "And I'll be there every step, I swear."

"Except for those trips you'll have to cover for me," Mal reminded him. There was a pang in her chest. It was always the kingdom coming first. Always his responsibilities, never her. She swallowed. "And, hey, only like seventeen more years until we can retire, right?"

"Then we can leave." Ben laughed. "I can kiss you on a beach somewhere and we won't have fifteen hundred guards around, and I'll be able to leave my cell phone behind without my secretary and the courts getting mad at me."

Mal closed her eyes wistfully. She'd be forty-two. Forty-two and everything would be done. She spread a hand on her midsection. Nine months, and the kingdom's future would be secure, and she'd forever be able to stay with Ben, and she'd be able to finally get her happily-ever-after. She was so, so close.

Ben reached over and took her hand, and Mal opened her eyes to look at him. He was chewing on the inside of his lip in thought as he examined her eyes. "I'm going to have to notify the guards soon." He told her. "So you might want to prepare yourself. You didn't even have to deal with heritage guard with the last two because the guards never found out but trust me when I say it's a bear."

"I'll do it." Mal nodded and squeezed his hand. "I'll do anything to stay with you."

A smile ghosted across Ben's mouth. "And I with you." He affirmed.

Someone knocked on the door and the two young royals looked up. Mal let her hands drop to her sides as she saw the general standing in the doorway with a hard look on his face. "Your majesty?" He called. "I'm here to review the security efforts from the last three months."

"Yes," Ben acknowledged with a sigh. He gave Mal one last little smile as she backed away from the desk. "I'll see you later, okay?"

"Okay," Mal agreed. She and the general ignored each other as she left Ben's office and the door was shut between her and her other half.

* * *

To be honest, Mal didn't even listen to the last fourteen minutes of her meeting. The hot sun was streaming through the windows, turning the room into a sauna, and someone had switched out the air freshener, so the place smelled like a lavender soak house. She'd taken an extra pain killer and so was, for once, relatively free of her side pains and was therefore struggling to keep her eyes open as she sank back into her chair. She didn't even hear when it ended; only the sounds of people standing up and moving alerted her to the fact it was over.

The doors to the room opened and people walked out on their way home to see family and friends. Mal pushed her chair back as people started to make their way to her to shake her hand and ask the same old, unanswerable questions about how her side was and when she'd be fully recovered. Before she could stand up, she spotted a head of sandy hair appear in the doorframe, and people unexpectedly parted and turned to smile up the length of the table at her. Mal rested her hands on the arms of her chair as Ben appeared, pressing his lips together to avoid smiling too widely, and continued the trek up to her. In his arms was an array of purple and white flowers, clearly for her.

"Oh my goodness," Mal hummed as she felt the light come back into her eyes and straightened up.

"Hi," Ben greeted, leaning down and kissing her cheek. "Missed you."

"I missed you too!" Mal laughed as Ben slipped the flowers into her hands. "What are these for?"

"For you," Ben clarified needlessly, putting a hand on her shoulder as some dignitaries decided that it wasn't necessary to say goodbye to the queen when she was talking to her husband and left. Others remained, watching the scene and eavesdropping with bright smiles.

"They're purple!" Mal laughed. Sure, they were flowers, kind of girly, but they were something he'd brought her, and they were her favorite color.

"You're not going to say anything on how romantically cheesy it is?" Ben asked with a laugh of his own.

"It is romantically cheesy!" Mal rolled her eyes. "Just like you."

Ben smiled, eyes bright, and leaned down to kiss her cheek again. "You feeling okay?" He asked.

"I am," Mal affirmed. "And a lot better than I was five minutes ago."

"Good," Ben smiled. "I thought we could go out? Make it a spontaneous date like we used to?" He elbowed Mal's arm a little and her mouth fell open in absolute surprise. Ben continued cheekily. "I can't exactly show up on your and Evie's doorstep, but I figured the meeting would provide a similar effect."

"I love it!" Mal exclaimed, rising out of her chair and using the chair for balance until she found her bearings. "Are we leaving now?"

"Yeah, let's go," Ben proclaimed, looping his arm around hers as she clutched her bouquet and then reaching down to gather up her meeting notes. "I'll notify the guards and we'll go get dinner somewhere no one would expect two royals to be." He nodded to those who had been waiting around for her and led her past them. Mal paused briefly to shake a few hands and nod politely towards people who wanted to ask her questions.

At the reminder of the guards, Mal frowned. "But the new guard rules… you'll get in trouble." She reminded him.

"Well, they'll have to be in the car with us and they'll have to stand guard on premises, but so long as they're incognito no one should notice us. I convinced the general earlier today that premises don't have to be secured if the guards have constant sight of us." Ben explained, leading her out into the hall with a flourish.

"Really?" Mal smiled. "So we can pretend to be, like, normal and everything?"

"Yeah!" Ben nodded. "So, do you want to go? O would you rather stay in and finish all the paperwork that you've-"

"Let's go," Mal interrupted, shuddering internally at the stack of laws and things that needed her attention that was surely piled on her desk at the moment.

Mal hadn't felt so pleased since she'd married Ben almost a year ago. They pulled up in a small car, Ben driving, and two guards sitting silently in the back, to a family restaurant that was a buffet-style diner. He held her hand in the center console as they sang along to the radio and shared jokes back and forth about their individual workdays.

Mal opened her door before Ben could come around, but he still managed to shut his door quickly enough to get around and help her down.

Ben was wearing a tan t-shirt and a blue baseball cap, and Mal pulled her hair back into a ponytail so it wasn't immediately clear when you were looking straight at her that she had purple hair. He opened the door for her and the two guards and paid for them as a group of four. The cashier gave them a cursory glance as he scanned Ben's credit card, and his gaze hovered on the King and Queen's faces as if he was trying to remember where he'd seen them before. Then a waiter appeared to lead them to a booth, and the cashier turned to the next person in line without any trouble.

The guards sat across the room from them while Ben and Mal took a smaller booth near the corner of the restaurant together. "You like places like this, right?" Ben laughed teasingly as he set his coat down on the chair and then tucked his wallet into his pocket.

"I do," Mal affirmed, looking around them with bright eyes. Families with kids and young college couples on dates surrounded them, talking in lively tones about jobs they had picked and lives they had chosen to lead. It was the sort of place they'd hung out in after school at Auradon Prep. The sort of place where Evie, Jay, or Carlos and their spouses would go to hang out – not at all like the palace, where fancy food was brought to them and the only people they ever ate with were other royals, where table manners were always a requirement, and where the conversation always drifted to either her stab wounds or her mother. Here, she almost felt normal.

"Want me to bring you your favorites or want to come to explore the buffet table with me?" Ben asked.

"Let's go!" Mal took his hand and pulled him towards the buffet tables, kept in a large room that connected to the room with the tables. There appeared to be two other places where tables and booths were set up. In the buffet area, there were large tables with food warmers hanging above platters, and a soda fountain machine and a slushie dispenser and dozens of different wonderful things to try.

Ben took two plates while she found two glasses and mixed his two favorite sodas before picking a green slushie for hers. They wandered around, making jokes as the guards watched from a distance with their food. Ben had to help her sit down when her side started to throb, but she was having so much fun she didn't mind all that much.

"We haven't done anything this spontaneous since I lived with Evie," Mal recalled as she attacked her strawberry ice cream first. Her plate was covered with baked chicken, three types of jello, a potato salad and a varied assortment of fruit. "I think the last time we randomly had a date was the week before Doug proposed, when you had an event at the library that was canceled so we went to that bouncy house department."

"No, it wasn't," Ben disagreed. "We went out a week before Doug's bachelor party and built a fort down by the river and made a swing to jump in."

"Oh, that's right." Mal nodded. "That was right before the three days I was alone in our apartment before you decided it wasn't safe for me and pulled me into Capital Residence One in Auradon City." She smiled fondly at the sweet memories.

"It wasn't safe," Ben raised an eyebrow. "I get that you're the daughter of Maleficent, but you were still the most important government official on the judicial side of the balance, girlfriend to the king of Auradon, and your only security was an electronic lock and your pistol. Also keeping in mind that you were the only court member who didn't employ a single guard and who didn't live in a palace, you were very underprotected."

Mal hummed, smirking a little. "Remember that video of you doing a backflip into the cube pile that made two physicians come up to check on you?"

"The backflip was cool," Ben rolled his eyes. "And I get it, they were worried. But whatever. Everyone has been so protective of me ever since Mom turned forty."

"Always nice to know how important you are to Auradon," Mal scoffed. Then her smile returned as she reached across the table and squeezed his hand. "I still can't decide if the bounce city was more fun than the river date, or if it was the other way around. Remember you slipped when a fish swam past you?"

Ben raised an eyebrow. "I'm surprised that's the first thing you remember," He chuckled. "That was the first time I had to tell you no more."

"Ah," Mal nodded, closing her eyes. "We swung into the river and got soaked and covered in mud, and then we crawled into our little fort and kissed each other until our lips and our fingers were blue. You even let me take your shirt off."

Ben nodded, a nostalgic look coming over his face. "I did," he agreed. "You let me play country music on the way back to your apartment even though you thought it was all cheesy and I got home a minute and four seconds before curfew because we decided making out in my car and then on your couch was a nicer option to saying goodnight." Mal smiled to remember how she'd been high for the entire morning the next day and how she and Ben had both been hungover together for days afterward.

Mal chuckled and beamed as she remembered what it had felt like to wake up the next morning with red marks stretching across the lower half of her face and all up and down her neck. Ben squeezed her hand. "One day, we'll be crazy like that again," He promised. "We'll go swimming in rivers and dancing in the rain and we'll make out in stick forts and we'll sneak out of galas."

"Swimming," Mal repeated with air quotes. "You mean I'll jump in and you'll have to fish me out because I still can't stay afloat after almost nine years of knowing you."

"I'll teach you to swim," Ben promised, laughing. "And then we'll race."

Mal's hand went to her side. Her smile fell a little as Jafar's words echoed in her head. A permanent handicap. Still, she nodded. "That'd be fun," She agreed. "Just another sixteen-and-a-half years, right?"

"Keep your voice down," Ben advised, glancing across the way to where a young girl had just turned off her cell phone and was staring vacantly towards them. Mal followed his gaze and pulled most of her hair over the opposite shoulder, hoping she wouldn't notice.

"We probably shouldn't stay here much longer," Ben hummed. "Unless we want the press to show up."

"Ugh," Mal rolled her eyes. "How much longer do you think we have?"

Ben glanced at his watch. "We've been here for almost thirty minutes." He announced.

"Wow, I think that's a new record," Mal's eyes sparked with mirth. "I guess the press must be slowing down now that nothing major is going on."

"Give it until September 20th," Ben rolled his eyes. "Then we won't be able to go out until, well, the following year, probably."

Mal wrinkled her nose and slumped into her seat. "Why did I agree to do all of this?" She mourned and rolled her eyes.

"Hopefully because you love me," Ben chuckled, and then his smile faded a little. "You almost done?" He asked.

A bad feeling crept down Mal's spine. She speared a spoonful of jello and sighed wearily. "Why?" She asked. Ben grimaced, and she closed her eyes. "Don't tell me…" She moaned.

"King Ben?" Someone asked, just over her shoulder. Mal groaned and quickly took two more bites of her ice cream before wrapping her chicken and some fruit up into a napkin.

"Good evening," Ben greeted the young man who'd called for him as he, too, began to wrap things up. "How are you doing tonight?"

"Well," The young woman who was his date smiled. "We were wondering if we could get a photo?" She held aloft a cell phone with a hopeful expression. At her request, the surrounding groups glanced over to see who they were speaking to. Silence descended over the area, except for a few whispers of: "King Ben and Queen Mal!" "I didn't see them!" "When did they walk up?"

Ben's smile grew a little tight. "Only a fast one," he agreed as people around the restaurant began pulling out their phones. Mal finished wrapping her food up. She, fortunately, hadn't been noticed much yet, despite the fact she was the one with colorful hair.

The guards appeared in the corner of Mal's vision, and she made eye contact with Ben before sliding out of the booth and offering her place to them. "Here, take a seat," she invited. "I'm going to run to the restroom real quick." She crossed the room, keeping her head down and moving fast, as people slowly got up to move closer to the booth and to take photos of Ben. One of the guards took her arm and they began to quickly move towards the exit. As the doors swung closed, she heard the first shout: "Woah, that's King Ben!"

The guard took her out to the parking lot and helped her into the car. Ben had the keys. She clicked the buckle into place and closed her eyes until she heard a knock on the door. A group of teenage girls was standing outside, waving at her. She turned to glance at her bodyguard in the back and discovered him leaning up to lock all four doors. She shook her head and winced sympathetically to the girls as the exit doors to the restaurant opened and Ben and the second guard appeared, hurrying for the car. Mal exhaled. "That didn't take all that long," She commented. Her guard nodded to her words.

Ben paused for one more photo with the girls outside before he and the guard climbed into the car. Mal heaved a sigh of relief as he slid the car into gear and then she felt the wheels moving through the floor panels. She untwisted her napkin to pick at her chicken as Ben turned onto the road out of the parking lot. "Are we going home now?" She mumbled.

Ben hummed as if he were considering the thought, and then shook his head. "Nah. We can go home later. I don't have to be checked into the Palace Home System until midnight still."

Mal turned his words over in her head, and then looked at him incredulously. "Do you… have plans?" She asked.

Ben smirked at the road as he flicked the left turn signal on. "I mean, come on, you barely ever get to leave to palace anymore. You can't tell me that you don't want to escape now, can you?"

"Where are we going?" Mal asked, leaning forward as a bright smile spread back across her face.

Ben glanced to the side at her and then turned his eyes back to the road without a word. He was smirking as she continued staring at him. "You'll see," He promised.

The city ended and they drove through the outskirts of Auradon city. Down twisting roads and past tall trees and large parks. After about twenty minutes, Ben leaned over to squeeze her knee. "Close your eyes," He commanded.

Mal let her lids fall shut as she waited, anxiously tapping her heels against the floor. The car slowed, then stopped. She waited until she heard Ben turn the engine off and leaned over to kiss her cheek. "Stay here," He whispered, and then his door opened. She heard the guards open the door and then felt a cool breeze as her door opened. Ben unclicked the seatbelt, took both of her hands, and helped her down and onto the ground. There was asphalt underneath her feet. He turned her towards the front of the car and stood behind her, rubbing her arms a little the way he had on their very first date.

"Okay," He whispered. "Take a look."

Mal opened her eyes and was blinded by a light like the sun at noontime. It was coming from a glass tower that had been constructed in the center of a field, with circular paths forming a butterfly-esque pattern in the lawns. The field was filled with booths, a large glass building with bright lights coming from it, dozens of small joyrides and thousands of different attractions. Bright lights were strung from place to place, lighting up the faces of hundreds of people as they journeyed from place to place. She felt her jaw going slack as she stared at everything, taking in the music and the people and the scene. "A fair?" She gasped.

"A science fair," Ben nodded. "They unveil new inventions and there are lots of clever and fun things to try. I looked, and there's even a couple rides you might like."

Mal furrowed her brow. "Even with my-" She gestured to her side. "Will they let me go?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "You can't do some of the fast roller coasters and the higher-pressure rides, but there will still be things we can try together." He set a hand on her shoulder. "Want to go in?"

Mal laughed and looped her fingers through his before they hurried towards the fairgrounds with their guards following. Ben locked the car before they stepped towards the admissions booth. They'd come after the initial rush of people, so there was only a short line of people they had to wait behind before a young lady with electric blue hair ran a stamp of sticky red paint over the back of Mal's hand and they were able to step through. She heard the guards murmuring behind them briefly: "I'll keep an eye on her and you keep an eye on him."

"Where should we go first?" Ben asked, procuring a map as they passed the gate and unfolding it underneath a street lamp that emitted a dazzling orange light. "There are magic shows, small concerts, a mini-opera, sharpshooting events, and a couple of other things of that nature. They're performing The Little Mermaid down by the pond and I heard they have a colored actress to play Ariel. The science hall has dozens of new inventions you can examine and try out, there's an improv section where they put on mini-plays from the various fairy tales, there's a cultural exhibition site that I heard included a large section on the culture from the Isle of the Lost, and of course the fairgrounds."

"There's so much," Mal gasped, staring at everything on the map. "Is that a Ferris Wheel? How will we ever get around to everything?"

"Oh, we'll take the trolley," Ben smiled. "See, right here, they have a trolley system that loops around the entire field. There's also a little train ride that stretches from here, loops around the prismid, and then ends right where it stops."

"The prismid?" Mal asked and looked up to the gigantic tower with the light on the top of it that outshone the moon in the sky. "That thing?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "In the daytime, when the light hits it, it scatters rainbows across the entire valley. They built it for the fair and are considering leaving it up because it's so pretty to look at."

Mal shook her head, feeling a bit dazed. "I don't know. It's all so overwhelming. What do you think we should do first?"

"I have a feeling I'm a bit more interested in the science hall than you are, and that's right there. It lets out right at the stage where they're doing improv, so how about we go through the hall and then watch them recreate old fairytales for a little bit?" Ben suggested, tracing the route with his fingertip on the map and then pointing to the large glass building Mal had first noticed outside. Mal smiled in agreement and together they wandered to the doors, which opened by sinking into the ground as they got near. A rush of cold air and the smell of orange cleaners rushed out. Inside were large exhibitions or dozens of varieties. Mechanical chirping birds and robotic cats and dogs were to the immediate left, and a sign displayed that they were lifelike service animals for allergic people or for people who didn't have the mental stability to care for an animal but still required companionship.

Ben paused briefly to listen to a few things: a synthetic leaf that could be put on walls to help filter air in-home, a prototype of a machine that could generate artificial gravity, jackets with alarm systems that would call the police if a button on the underside of the zipper was pressed in a certain manner, and a pair of earpieces that acted as wireless translators. And while Mal didn't particularly care about the technologies that would make Auradon a more lively, inter-accessible place, she did hang about and examine the new medical technologies. Some small part of her was hoping for a miracle, though she knew better than to hold her breath.

"A metal exoskeleton for the outside of your bones!" Someone proclaimed in a loud voice, holding up an x-ray of someone's leg bone. "It can help fix misalignment and also ease discomfort for the muscles in the area of treatment! We've already used it on several patients, including Mrs. Mary Aight, who broke her back several years ago and suffered from pain inflammation ever since. Ever since the surgery was performed, she's been able to move freely and without danger of damaging her back more."

Mal glanced over the exhibition. Mary Aight's x-ray was hanging on a blackboard. Mal examined how the metal had been imbued around her spine and part of her ribcage. She turned back to the announcer.

"The surgery is safe too! We've been accredited by the National Advisory Board of Health. This is a technology that should be years away, but we're bringing it out of the future and into the present to make your lives easier!" He announced.

Ben put an arm around her waist and kissed her jaw a little before Mal thrust her hand into the air. "Excuse me!" She called, using the authoritative tone she usually only pulled at meetings where people stopped listening to her. The same tone she'd first learned on the Isle and that always sent shivers down everyone's spines. As predicted, people turned and looked at her. Ben ducked his head down a little to hide his identity more under the ballcap. "Would this invention have any effect on nerve damages associated with the injury?"

Ben's fingers twisted through hers, and she swallowed as she squeezed back. The announcer's face twisted in shock and his mouth hung open for a few seconds as he stared at her. "Ah, ahem, uh… Queen Mal," He stumbled. "We, I mean, no, unfortunately." His face turned beet red. "If the damage is on the nerves themselves, well, those don't heal so…" He trailed off, looking incredibly uncomfortable. Mal's heart sank into her feet. She'd exposed them for a no.

The crowd had parted somewhat around them, so she and Ben stepped back and vanished back into the crowd. He took her fairly quickly to the exit after that, which was disappointing because there were a lot of cool ideas there. Diamonds forged in plasma, a knife that toasted bread as it cut, and an immersive virtual reality set, among other ideas.

They stepped back out into the warm air of the outside, just in time to watch a dramatization of Rapunzel healing Eugene Fitzherbert with a magical tear. As Eugene slowly got to his feet, looking at the nonexistent stab wound in his chest, the crowd exploded into cheers. Ben and Mal wandered to the front of the crowd as the actors took their bows. People began to shout out their requests from the crowd.

"Tarzan and Jane!" One person called.

"Peter Pan!" Another called.

"Belle and Beast!" Someone yelled at the top of their lungs.

Mal watched Ben flinch beside her. Even after all these years, Adam hadn't been able to clear his name of the 'Beast' title. She then watched him raise his hands to his mouth and shout: "King Ben and Queen Mal!"

Mal's cheeks flushed scarlet, as Ben elbowed her. It was clear it had only been a joke, but it was rather clear that the crowd liked the idea of the country's current fairytale being portrayed. "King Ben and Queen Mal!" They took up the scream. "King Ben and Queen Mal!"

The actors mimed listening for a request, and then hurried offstage to change costumes. Mal wondered if they would have a purple wig on hand. She watched as some set hands changed scenes, dragging some black chairs onto the stage and a coffee table with a flower vase glued to it. She assumed it was supposed to represent the palace. As soon as they finished setting up, Mal watched 'Ben' come in from offstage, still tugging the sleeves on a blue coat with golden tassels on the shoulders. She snorted and elbowed Ben, who looked thoroughly amused to see himself portrayed in such a way. Behind 'Ben', 'Belle' and 'Adam' walked into the room.

"Son," 'Adam' announced, clapping 'Ben' on the shoulder. "It's almost time for you to take the throne and lead Auradon as King. Tell me, have you chosen your first official proclamation yet?"

Ben put his arms around Mal to watch as his actor gave an impassioned speech about how the children of the Isle shouldn't be abandoned, all the while Mal wondered what her character was going to look like. They couldn't have _all_ of the hero's costumes on hand, could they?

As Ben's parents left the stage and the stagehands began to switch things around on stage, Mal caught a glimpse of their guards several yards behind them, growing closer as the crowd grew denser.

The 'Isle of the Lost' was a few sparse coils of rope, an empty trash bin, and a chair with a leg that had been broken off earlier in the evening. The speakers started playing some spooky, ghost-like music, and then 'Mal' and her friends burst onstage.

Mal almost doubled over in laughter as the crowd around her screamed.

'Jay' was being played by a black-skinned man who was wearing basketball shorts and a dress vest. A winter hat was making up for a beanie as he cartwheeled across the stage, showing off his agility. 'Carlos's' hair was a wig that had probably been meant for a rendition of Cruella herself, meaning it was entirely too long for his frame. He was the shortest of them all – almost kid-like beside 'Jay's' large frame, and part of his outfit was made from a ripped trash bag. Meanwhile, 'Evie' was struggling to strut in stilettos and was borrowing 'Carlos' for balance. Her hair was completely black, and she wore a blue shirt and a brown leather skirt that looked like it might have been made for a Pocahontas play.

And then there was Mal. And Mal had to laugh because, for once, she was taller than all of her friends. It was clear why they'd assigned the actress to play her though – she had red and purple streaks in her hair. Her entire outfit was black – a heavy black coat, black sweatpants, and big black boots that had just come off of Eugene's feet. Mal wiped tears out of her eyes as 'Mal' kicked over the wastebasket onstage and let out a feral roar.

"Accurate," Ben mumbled in her ear. Mal buried her face into his shoulder, shaking from laughter. Maleficent looked pretty on-beat, so Mal assumed they'd had a costume prepared for her. She watched as they were invited to Auradon prep and then squeezed Ben's hand as the set hands switched the scene, bringing in trees and potted flowers. 'Ben' returned to the stage, this time with 'Audrey', who was played by a busty Hispanic girl with orangish-red hair, in tow. They talked for a few moments, making up the dialogue as they went and scattering jokes to make the crowd laugh. Finally, though, the villain kids appeared on stage and Prince Ben went to meet them. Mal noticed her character was placed at the end of the lineup.

"I'm Prince Ben!" Ben's onstage partner announced, shaking 'Evie's' hand as she batted her eyes and tried to fall into him. 'Audrey stuck out her tongue and made a fist at 'Evie' as 'Ben' shook 'Carlos's' hand with an even nod. 'Jay' smacked his fists together instead of shaking 'Ben's' hand, and so 'Ben' stepped towards 'Mal' with a smile. He took her hand, looked at her face, and his smile dropped. "Woah," He sighed. "You are, wow, you are really, really beautiful." 'Audrey' clapped her hands over her mouth in a scandalized manner.

Mal burst into laughter and started wiping tears away as Ben threw his head back, almost in tears himself. "Look," He whispered, pointing to the pair onstage. "You're taller than me."

"You are really, really sickening," 'Mal' told 'Ben' onstage, pulling her hand back with an exaggerated grimace. "Hey, so, what kind of magic does Auradon have? Like, where is Fairy Godmother's wand now and such?"

"Accurate," Ben repeated in Mal's ear. She snorted and shook her head. It was all too much to bear.

The interpreters didn't do too bad, all in all. They pulled the crowd in for Ben's big musical and had Ben dump Audrey with a lengthy speech about how he didn't feel like their relationship had been working for a while. They didn't show any tourney and didn't do their phone call home to their parents, and nothing could ever compare to the real date Mal had shared with Ben, but it was still entertaining to the point where Mal's eyes and throat were dry from laughing and crying so hard.

"Need some water?" Ben asked as they walked away from the beginning of 'Sleeping Beauty'.

"Yes, please," Mal choked, leaning against him with her fingertips tangled in his shirt.

"Let's take the trolley," Ben suggested, leading her towards the pick-up area. Almost immediately, a car with a bright blue headlamp came singing around the corner. It paused for a second as people jumped off and quickly, Ben, Mal, and their guards took hold of the sides and jumped aboard. The car started moving as Mal had a foot off, but Ben pulled her aboard as the wind whipped her ponytail from side to side. He narrowly caught his hat before it blew away. Mal laughed as she leaned out over the ground, watching it rush by. Ben took hold of her hips, looking worried. "Don't hurt your side!" He warned, frowning deeply. Mal leaned back into him and held a hand out in the wind, feeling the breeze rush through her fingertips. Ben sighed into the breeze and kissed her neck as she closed her eyes against the cool air.

The trolley passed by the people giving small solo concerts. Mal caught the drifts of soft rock and popular pop ballads as they drifted over a small decorative river. The lights of fireflies flicked into and out of existence.

They got off at the fairgrounds. Here, small children ran afoot and college couples with weird haircuts and matching tattoos on their necks crowded around the booths and concessions areas. Clowns stood at corners, honking on circular noses and blowing balloon animals up. Ben examined one with a tactful eye.

"We need balloon crowns," he decided.

Mal shook her head. "No," She declined.

"Yes!" Ben protested. "We need a purple and a blue one, and we need balloon swords for the guards."

"You're going to make us a meme," Mal complained, covering her forehead with a hand.

"Yes," Ben repeated with a wicked smile. "Do you want something else too? Like an elephant? Or, look, that little girl has a monkey!" He pointed to a brown-haired child with her arm looped through a balloon monkey's arms.

"I'm good," Mal rolled her eyes.

Ben looped his arms through hers. "Let's at least go look," He decided, leading her over to see. They walked up as a clown was finishing a little girl's balloon giraffe. He was standing beside a sign displaying designs and prices. Mal sighed, knowing exactly how this was going to end. Ben examined the sign, and then looked at the clown with a sadistic, amused sort of smirk on his lips. "I need two balloon crowns, two balloon swords, and if you can make me a balloon dragon, I will literally give you twenty dollars."

Mal's mouth dropped open. "Ben!" She gasped, "Be reasonable."

"Twenty-five," Ben upped his price.

The clown honked his plastic nose and smiled. "I can do a dragon breathing fire as a bracelet, or I can do something that goes around your neck."

"The around-the-neck would be amazing." Ben smiled, pulling out his wallet with a proud smile.

Mal covered her face with her hands as the clown began to pump air into several different balloons as Ben instructed him on colors and waved the guards forward. Each guard got a sword, one yellow and one orange, which they were both strangely please with as they poked each other and fought a pretend sword fight. Ben's blue crown was finished before her purple crown. As he slid it atop his head, he quipped: "I should just wear this to work instead of the actual thing and fire whoever protests."

"I think that'd be considered some sort of power corruption," Mal decided as the clown finished hers. Ben took it with an air of extreme reverence and secured it on top of her head, pulling her ponytail up so it would fit comfortably. Then the four of them watched as the clown withdrew a variety of balloons and began to pump them up and twist them. First a mess of green and a small blob of twists, and then suddenly there was a green belly with purple skin. Another attachment and suddenly there were four claws and finally, he attached a head onto the creation. By that time, there was a small crowd surrounding them, watching in amazement as Mal's dragon form came to life.

"Mommy, that man is making Queen Mal!" A little girl with unicorn face paint exclaimed as the clown finished twisting his creation up. He handed it to Ben, and Ben put it around Mal's neck with an air of pride.

"She's right, Mal!" He laughed. "It looks just like you in dragon form!"

Mal laughed as Ben paid the clown for his troubles and offered his arm to her. "I'm glad you had your fun, making the two of us public spectacles."

"It shouldn't feel that different," Ben quipped. "It's just that you get to see Auradon's reactions, not just hear about them on the news. Now, should we get drinks and snacks next, or should we get facepaint?"

Forty-five minutes later and heavy-laden with balloons, churros, extra-large soda pops, and a large bag of popcorn Ben and Mal decided to try a couple of the rides and fair games. The two guards had snacks of their own, and matching drawings of the Auradon Crest on their cheeks that Mal had painted. Ben had balloons painted on the right side of his face, further masking his identity, and Mal had a very complex-looking dragon stretching around her face that the lady at the booth had let her paint herself. They were finding it was infinitely easier to blend in where they weren't expected.

"Do you think we could convince the guards to let us go for ten minutes so I can kiss your brains out?" Ben whispered in her ear, elbowing her arm.

"Doubtful," Mal rolled her eyes. "But go ahead and try. It'll be amusing to watch."

Ben turned to the two guards and took a deep breath. "No," One of them cut in before he could get a syllable out.

Ben's mouth dropped in indignation. "You didn't even hear what I was going to ask!" He defended himself.

The guards both burst into laughter. "Sorry, just joking." One laughed. "What were you going to ask?"

"The hall of mirrors is all one-way," Ben began. "Is there any chance you could… wait by the exit so we can go through by ourselves?"

"That's a no," The second guard shook his head, looking to his partner. "Right?"

The first guard, however, shrugged. "I don't know, actually. It's not like they can go back. It's all one way. What if we just… go through first to clear the area and then just wait at the exit for them?"

The second guard pondered this and then nodded. "But if anything goes wrong, we're putting your name on the incident report," he warned Ben. Ben gave a double thumbs-up with a bright smile. Mal was bewildered. It was rare the guards bent the rules as much as they suddenly were. The guards laughed at their dumbfounded expression. "Don't take too long," the second guard warned, rolling his eyes knowingly.

They got in line at the hall with the guards ahead of them. "I can't believe you convinced them," Mal whispered. "Think we can do the same thing with another activity?"

"There's Lazer Tag," Ben suggested. "We could play a round or two and find a dark corner to make out in."

"They'd have to carry us out," Mal laughed.

The guards disappeared into the building ahead of them and, a few seconds later, Ben and Mal were allowed to follow. Inside, the bright lights stabbed at her eyes so she squeezed them shut and tightened her hold on Ben's arm, listening to him laugh as he led her through the attraction.

After walking for some time, he paused, took his arm back, and wrapped his arms around her, setting his head on her shoulder. "Open your eyes for a second," He whispered. She did, blinking against the lights, and found herself standing in front of a mirror, alone with him. He'd picked one mostly dimmed from the bright lights so that she could examine them without any headaches and was smiling at her from the mirror as she laughed at their reflection.

His balloon hat was askew on his head, just like his crown was whenever she was around, and the balloons were flaking off his face around his laugh lines. He looked so handsome, standing behind her and smiling like their reflection together was something he was proud of. Mal felt his hands drop on her frame a little to land on top of her belly with his thumb and index fingers touching, forming a little heart. She laughed and put her hands on top of his.

"You know there's like, nothing there yet, right?" She whispered.

"No, there is," He insisted as he kissed her cheek. "You sure you can do this?"

"Absolutely," Mal agreed. "I'm not going to lose you." She twisted her head to meet his eyes, and then slowly, he leaned down to peck her mouth. She took one hand off of her belly to reach and pull his head down, kissing him more. Strength filled her bones and lifted her up before she felt the drunk feeling washing over her and let him go. "How safe is it to kiss you like this while I'm pregnant?" She mumbled against his cheek.

"Should be fine," Ben hummed, taking a hand to skim her jaw before kissing her again, even softer. "We just have to worry about walking out."

Mal nodded and moved away from his mouth, choosing instead to kiss his cheek and the area right beside his mouth as her head slowly cleared. "Let's keep going," She whispered and took his hand to lead him through the house of mirrors.

So many things followed, in such a bright flurry of activity she could hardly keep up with it all. She recalled playing the sharpshooting games, aiming a water gun at a target to blow up a balloon before Ben could, and then him holding a hot dog to her lips as she tried to stop laughing. Then she'd struggled a bit under the heavyweight of the Lazer Tag Vest, stumbled in the arena, had Ben shoot her lights out and kiss her soundless before the guards started ganging up on them and they'd had to unite to completely flatten their negligent associates.

Even though the fair was nowhere near dying off yet, the hour was growing late for Ben and Mal. Around eleven, the guards started checking their watches and at eleven-ten, Ben and Mal were issued their first warning that they'd have to leave soon. So now, they were heading to the center of the field, to the Prismid itself. They walked up to a crowd of people standing underneath the gigantic glass structure as rainbows scattered across the surrounding grounds. Underneath the picturesque building lay a gigantic, flat reflection pool, casting the rainbows every which way. Ben exhaled in amazement and tightened his hold on Mal's shoulders. "Look," He whispered, pointing to a white sign beside a pair of elevators. "Ten dollars for a ride to the top. Let's go."

"You've spent so much money in the last hour, it's ridiculous," Mal rolled her eyes. "We don't need to do _everything_."

"We need to do everything," Ben disagreed. Then, in a whisper, he added: "You realize that the next few months are going to be the complete opposite of this, right?"

Mal sighed, acknowledging his point, and Ben began to lead her away with the guards following. "Come on!" He proclaimed. "I have worked for almost ten years straight with not one official vacation. Let's have some fun."

They reached the person at the elevators, who was wearing a coral pin-striped suit, and Ben turned to the guards. "Want to come up with us?" He asked, pulling a couple of bills out of his wallet.

The guards exchanged looks and small smiles spread across their faces. "Nah," One said. "You kids just behave yourselves. If you want, leave your stuff here and we'll watch it while you go up."

"Really?" Mal asked, her face breaking out into a smile.

"Yeah," The second agreed. "You deserve it. Just don't make us regret it." He leveled a patronizing look in Mal's direction, and she laughed with a little nod. Ben paid the elevator man, and then Ben and Mal stepped into an elevator with neon lights running through a glass-bottomed floor, leaving their things with the guards down below.

The elevator climbed through the sky. As they passed the bright lights causing the rainbows near the top of the building, the world suddenly went very dark. Then the doors opened, and Ben and Mal stepped out onto a wide circular balcony that went all the way around a spire stretching up to the starry sky. They walked, arm linked through arm, to the end of the building, where they looked down at the fair below. The sounds of the crowd barely brushed their ears as a cool night wind whipped around them. Mal laughed, removing her balloon crown and pulling her hair out of its ponytail. Her purple locks floated around her head before Ben reached up and started combing the mess out with his fingertips.

"This has been wonderful," Mal mumbled with a bright smile. "I can't believe you dropped everything and did this."

Ben pressed his face into her hair and hummed. "You needed it," He whispered. "Things are about to be very… constrictive."

Mal closed her eyes and focused on the feel of the wind around her before looking down at the city. "Auradon City looks pretty awesome from here," She whispered.

"Yeah, I think the view is even better than from the palace," Ben laughed. They looked down at the winking lights of the city on the outskirts of the field. Mal couldn't even see the palace from here.

"I'm going to file your paperwork tomorrow," Ben whispered in her ear. Mal furrowed her brow and looked up at him. "About your pregnancy. I'm going to let the guards know."

"Oh," Mal nodded, feeling a little stressed. "Well, it's about time we did this the right way. You know, without trying to lie to everyone and hide from the guards."

"Yeah," Ben whispered into her hair. "Are you going to be okay?"

"I will be," Mal agreed, closing her eyes. "Just don't go too far, okay?"

Ben found her hand and looped their fingers together. "I'll be right here the entire time," He whispered. Mal closed her eyes against the wind and turned her face into Ben's chest to breathe in his scent. She felt his fingertips grazing at her chin, and so she lifted her head to let him kiss her, long, sweet, and slow, until she couldn't remember what she was so worried about.


	10. Chapter 10

Originally, the day didn't start too badly. She'd woken up late and tangled up in her husband's arms with her face paint flaking off and her hair crumpled up awkwardly on one side. He'd still been asleep, so she traced his features with her eyes and fingertips until his eyes opened and he came to life beside her.

Breakfast with his parents, like normal, and he'd put the pictures of them that he'd taken the night before on social media to a great positive reception and many people exclaiming "I thought that was you!", "Oh, my kids were right!"

Then, slowly, she'd made her way up to her office for her first meeting with some representatives from Camelot, and at the end of said meeting was when things took a sharp detour.

"Thank you for coming," Mal bid her visitors goodbye and nodded to her guards to open the door. She leaned over the desk to shake hands as the door opened. Lady Genevive gave a little gasp as the hall came into view and Mal looked up to see five very heavily armed guards standing outside her office door. As soon as she looked up, she heard the sounds of gun safeties being put into play, and the guards cleared a walkway for her guests to pass through. A deep weight fell onto her shoulders.

The representatives left and the group of guards entered the room, shutting it tight behind them. Mal sighed and closed her eyes as she fell back into her chair. "Let me guess," She sighed, "This is my introductory course to Heritage Guard?"

"Correct," A guard nodded. The two guards who had already been in the room with her blinked in mild surprise.

Mal examined each of the guards, armed from head to toe with bulletproof armor and with infra-red visors and a very large and imposing gun in each of their hands. "Do I have to have all of you escorting me all of the time?" She groaned and tried to imagine trying to hold a meeting with all of the… seven imposing people in the room.

"Only four," the guard shook his head. The clarification didn't make her feel all that better. "We have to be on-premises with you at all times and we'll have to escort you everywhere. At public events, no one will speak to you without us clearing them first, and yes, that includes your friends, Queen Mal."

"When you say escort me everywhere," Mal began, pinching her fingertips to her forehead as a headache began to ensue, "Do you mean 'everywhere' as in from the palace to anywhere else I go, or do you mean-"

"Everywhere," The guard annunciated. "From your bedroom in the mornings to breakfast, from your meetings to your bathroom breaks, and from your husband's arms into your bed at night. You're not getting rid of us."

Another guard coughed as his side. "Well, that last one was an exaggeration," She clarified. "But we'll search your room each night before you and King Benjamin go to sleep and your office before you're allowed to step in every day. You won't be able to leave your room until we arrive to escort you."

Mal chewed on her cheek and picked up a pen from a jar to absentmindedly doodle on the corner of a report she was supposed to be turning in tomorrow. Hopefully, they enjoyed a little lizard and a rose on the corner of the paper. "I guess I'll know how Ben feels all the time," She sighed.

"You're actually under more security than King Ben," The first guard disagreed. "His Heritage Guards don't have to escort him – just make sure his areas are secured."

Mal closed her eyes. "I'm glad to know I'm important to Auradon now," She decided. "Do you have to sit in on my meetings still?"

"Only one of us," The guard explained. "The rest will stand guard outside." He nodded to the two that were already in the room. "You guys are dismissed, by the way. Sorry, this is court dealings."

Mal's two standard guards stood. One bowed his head towards her. "Congratulations," He greeted.

Mal rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm ecstatic to be treated like Auradon's Royal Bomb for the next eight-nine months of my life." She extended a hand to shake his and each of her Heritage Guards tensed up. Still, they let her shake his hand and then they all watched them depart.

"What's on your agenda for today?" The leader of the guards asked, leaning forward to examine the calendar underneath her elbow. Mal moved her arm and pushed it forward with a sigh. All seven of the guards leaned forward and began to skim the list. A couple gave disapproving hums. The leader put his index finger down on a slot and then pointed to a couple of other places. "These things will have to be moved to King Ben's schedule as you are no longer eligible to do them. We'll have to organize your schedule with him later."

Mal sighed and decided not to argue.

"When's her next trip out of the palace?" The female guard asked, cracking her knuckles as she continued examining the calendar. Immediately, another guard put a finger down on a slot.

"Visitation with Lizard Maleficent," They announced. "We can handle that, right?"

"Easily," The leader agreed. "The hardest thing to protect her in will be the palace gala on the twentieth."

"About that," Mal sighed, pressing her fingertips to the bridge of her nose. A sudden churning feeling was rising in her stomach. "Ben and I already discussed plans for me to make an impromptu speech that evening, after the presenting. It'll be a five-minute thing to announce to Auradon I'm pregnant. Did he already tell you, or have I been abandoned to fight that battle on my own as well?"

"Where will you be making that speech from?" The head guard demanded with a squint.

"Just from the staircase," Mal exhaled. "I mean, the courts are holding the gala, so Anna will give the little speech thing, and then Ben's going to arrange for her to give him the microphone and we're going to announce it together."

"We can manage that," the female guard proclaimed. "If there's a bad reaction, we'll have to rush her out, but we can handle it."

"It'll work," The first guard agreed. He put a finger down on the 29th – her anniversary day. "This day is blank. Should we be concerned?"

Mal sighed. "Ben and I might be doing something on that day. We don't know for sure yet, so we're both keeping it open."

"We'll discuss it," The guard decided, as if it were his decision and not hers. She wrinkled her nose up. He flipped to the next month and started skimming her upcoming events.

One of the guards reached forward and tapped something on the calendar, and the head guard frowned when he saw it. "What's this 'out with friends' on the fourteenth?"

Mal's shoulders slumped. "That's the anniversary of the day I came to Auradon," She explained as a dark feeling settled on her shoulders – an uncomfortable weight telling her ahead of time that this would _not_ be okay with her new entourage. "Evie, Jay, and Carlos and I always go down to Auradon Prep for the tourney games and then out to the beach to look at the Isle. It'll just be the four of-"

"No," The head guard cut her off with a shake of his head. "Big crowd in a small place and then a wide-open area where you could be easily shot at. No."

"Please?" Mal asked, squeezed her eyes shut. "Even if I have to wear ballistic-proof stuff and I have to have twenty of you on hand, can I please go out with my friends?"

"No," The first guard repeated.

The second one looked up at the head guard. She seemed to be the second-in-command. "It's two places. What if we control where she can view the game from and pick the beach area for them, and block it off?"

The first guard furrowed his face up and flipped his visor up in thought. Mal watched him study the calendar and finally, he nodded approvingly. "We'll consider it," He declared begrudgingly. Mal breathed a sigh of relief and put her head down on the desk. Her stomach was twisting into figure eights like someone was trying to make pretzels out of her insides.

The guards continued examining her schedule and mumbling under their breaths. One took a purple highlighter from her collection and began highlighting events she was out of the palace for, and another began marking things that Ben would have to handle instead of her. Mal could see her Sunday evening with Ben slipping further and further away as they dismantled her schedule. She and Ben would have to put their heads together over the weekend and figure out exactly how much she'd be allowed to balance while this ordeal continued. And that reminded her:

"Evie will be coming up every few Sundays to help me," She informed them. "She and her little daughter Emily. Evie had her baby last May, and she and I are putting our heads together to make sure this thing goes as smoothly as possible for me."

"You have a doctor," the head guard protested.

"Several, actually," One of the other guards muttered under their breath. Mal snorted in agreement.

"It's different having someone who went through it, and who knows me and the way I like to live my life," She tried to explain. "My doctors are going to be helping me stick to the plans she and I are making." She put her fingertips together and watched their faces change expressions. The second guard, who Mal was beginning to appreciate a lot, slowly came to her defense.

"We'll keep them either in the office or the sitting room, and the Queen won't be allowed to leave. We'll search Evie and the child before they come in and watch them closely while she's over." She proposed. The head guard nodded in agreement, and then closed the calendar and pushed it back to her. Mal watched it retake its place on her desk with a blank expression.

She felt the room tilting a little and set her head in her hands with her elbows on the desk before she slowly got to her feet and, head spinning, whispered: "Excuse me please."

"You can't go anywhere!" A guard exclaimed, stepping in front of her path as she stepped around the desk and reached for the door. "Where are you going? Are you – are you sick?"

Mal couldn't answer him as she turned and fell on her knees beside the wastepaper basket in the office. She felt her stomach rushing up to her esophagus and into the basket before an awful burning smell filled the office. "Oh my gosh!" The female guard exclaimed. Mal waved her hand at them, squeezing her eyes shut as she tried to get around the taste of charred ashes out of her mouth. She took several deep breaths and managed to make it back to her feet.

"Hospital," the first guard declared with wide eyes.

"No," Mal declined. "No, no, it's magical sickness again. I just need to go and get my pill for it."

"Pill?" One of the guards sputtered as Mal went to the window and tugged it open. Her stomach was still churning. Dear God, she begged, please don't make me suffer Magical Sickness and any sort of Morning Sickness combined. "Can we allow her to take that?"

"It's on the palace records that I occasionally have to take it," Mal explained, trying to take several deep breaths. "It's just… up in my bedroom."

A knock came from the door and one of the guards leaned forward to check her schedule. "You have a meeting now with the heads of the grounds and the heads of the house regarding plans for the twentieth," he reminded her.

"Oh, let them in," Mal sighed bitterly, taking the trash can and setting it in the back of the room beside the vent. "I'll need… one of you to walk me down the hall to the restroom so that I can wash these ashes out of my mouth, and then… when does this meeting end?" She leaned over her desk to check her calendar as another knock came at the door. "One moment!" She called, putting her finger down on her schedule for today. "Two hours." She closed her eyes.

"Can you tell me where it is?" the female guard asked, slinging her assault rifle over her shoulder.

"I can't," Mal shook her head. "Ben would have to get it for me. I think he's in a meeting too, though, with Arendelle about the Winter Solstice celebration."

The knock came again, and with a sigh, Mal moved to open it. Outside was a crowd of about six people. She stepped to the side and gestured everyone in with her stomach churning. "Sorry for the wait. I'm ready for you now."

The guards watched as the collection of palace staff slipped inside. Three guards slipped outside after they had finished moving in so that the room wouldn't be as crowded. Mal exhaled. "Sorry about the crowd," She apologized. "I'm required to have guards in the room to speak with you." Mal cleared her throat and went to a filing cabinet to pull a manila folder out. "Let's begin."

* * *

Mal's phone buzzed against her desk, once again distracting her from going through all of Belle's notes from when they'd called cleaners to come and make ready for the palace last year. It made her smile to see, scribbled on the edge, 'Use excuse so Mal has to wear Evie's dress,' scribbled in Ben's handwriting on the edge.

Speaking of Evie, her best friend had just sent her a selfie with tiny Emily, who had two curly pigtails and was holding a rattle. "Dress-up with my mini-me," the text read.

A smile crossed Mal's face. "She looks exactly like you," She told Evie. Emily's hair was coming in dark blue, which made her godmother extremely happy, and her eyes were a bright and striking blue. Evie had one of the prettiest kids Mal had ever seen.

"She does, doesn't she?" Evie crowed. "I love her so much. But anyway, how are you?"

"I'm finishing up work," Mal replied, glancing down at Belle's assorted Auradon Celebration notes.

"Work?" Evie asked. "It's eight. Go be with your husband."

"He's finishing up work too," Mal replied. "Our schedules have been a bit wonky this week. We were so behind that we used our Sunday Evening to just go through and revamp my schedule to his and his to mine."

"Ouch. Anything you can talk about or is it all National Security stuff?" Evie asked. Mal chewed on her cheek and swallowed.

"A lot of our worries are actually regarding the twentieth celebration. He and I are making a big sort of announcement that evening." She moved some papers around on her desk to check over Belle's floorplan of where decorations would be from two years ago.

"And no talking about it?" Evie asked.

Mal stared at the text. The last time, she'd been so excited to tell Evie. Now, with this one, she didn't want to jinx it. She swallowed. "I can, but I'd rather not if you don't mind. I'll make sure to tell you, Jay, and Carlos about it before the announcement though. How's life for you?"

Mal folded up Belle's files and began hunting around for the decoration registry that one of the household heads had handed her. She lifted her keyboard and a couple of other things and mentally kicked herself for not being as neat as Ben. Mal closed her eyes to think. The meeting had gone over time, she had had lunch in her office, and the papers had been moved to-

Mal stood up and went to the filing cabinet by the window. She opened the top drawer and started shuffling through yellow manila files, looking for the one labeled 'September meetings'. Outside, the sun was slinking closer and closer to the horizon. Mal's fingers were just closing on top of the file when the window exploded inwards, throwing glass into her face. Mal blinked in surprise and looked down towards the grounds. She couldn't see anything, but there was a sound like fireworks and a bullet whizzed past her face.

The door was flung open and her four guards jumped in as a hole appeared in the wall. They only paused for half of a second before moving into action. "Get down!" The female second-in-command demanded, rushing over and yanking Mal by her arm out of the way of the window as her superior dashed to the wall and pointed the barrel of his gun out of the window. Mal was forced onto the ground with the other girl sitting, slightly crouched, over her as she spoke into a microphone on the neck of her vest.

"Red alert, we have an attacker from the grounds shooting into the Queen's office. Shut down the gates." She demanded, flicking the safety off on her gun while keeping it ready in her hands.

The superior guard and one of the others began to exchange fire with the shooter on the grounds. The sound made Mal's ears ring. He, too, was speaking into his vest as he fired. "I have visual contact, suspect in black on the West grounds, about a hundred yards from the palace."

"Permission to remove the Queen from the scene?" The female guard demanded, still crouched over Mal and acting as a human shield in case anything else decided to make a hostile approach to the queen.

"Get her out!" The senior officer commanded and continued to shoot round after round out the window. The sound made Mal's ears ring. Her entire office smelled of gunpowder.

The female guard grabbed her arm and began to help her up. Mal tried to put her feet under her, holding onto her side as it was twisted violently, but the guard shook her head. "You can't stand up," She explained. "If the bullet ricochets off something, we don't want you to be hit."

"I can't crouch," Mal shook her head. Already, hunching her spine was making her side throb. Even if she could crawl, she'd be out for weeks afterward trying to heal her overdone nerves.

The guard shook her head. "Then we're staying here," She decided. She opened her mouth to say more, but alarms began to blare in the palace. Somehow, she could still hear the bullets being exchanged out the window. The guard directed her to cover her neck with her hands and lie down with her face in the carpet. Mal's front began to burn as she tried to keep her breaths slow and steady against the carpet. The tension in her muscles created a terrible throb that pulsed along to her heartbeat. Dust entered her nose, making them burn and clench her chest muscles even more.

There was a shout of pain and the head guard, who was firing out the window, fell back against the wall holding his jaw. Red was spreading in between his fingertips as he tried to apply pressure on the wound. Mal's female guard leaped to her feet. "Viktor!" She screamed and rushed over as the head guard hit his knees beside Mal's still-open filing cabinet. Mal twisted her head to watch as she shoved his hands away in what Mal assumed was an effort to see the wound before she pressed her mouth face-value onto his. Immediately, the blood streaming down his face scabbed over and left a rather ugly, but old-looking wound. A True Love's Kiss.

Mal's female guard jumped to her feet and aimed outside, replacing Viktor's post as they fired at a retreating figure on the grounds. "Suspect is moving towards the West Exits. We have guards closing in from the North and South. Exits are shut."

"Take him out," Viktor ordered hoarsely. He crawled over to Mal and took up a crouch above her, similar to what the other guard had been doing. Mal squeezed her eyes closed. They continued firing outside. One round, then another, and then there was silence. Mal heard the echoes of gunfire outside for a few more seconds, and then all that was left was the ringing of her ears.

"South Side got him. They'll collect the body and brief dispatch. We need to move her out of here," Mal's female guard announced. She bent down and put her hands under Mal's armpits to try and help her up, but pain exploded in Mal's chest. She let out a guttural scream and the guard immediately released her.

"Was she shot?" Viktor demanded in a panic, searching up and down the queen's body for any sign of blood.

Mal's torso felt like it was locking up and twisting. She tried to force her body to relax but found it rigid and immovable. The guards used her arms, locked into her sides, to turn her onto her back, which immediately helped relieve some of the pain. Mal's other two guards came to hover over her as the first two, Viktor and his second-in-command, continued to search her body for any sort of visible wound. Mal was in simply too much pain to tell them that it was all underneath her skin – all old wounds.

"What can we do?" Viktor demanded. Mal tried to move her lips, but it was as if she'd lost control of her entire body. His female counterpart started to speak, but Mal couldn't hear a word she was saying as she tried to at least move her finger. The edges of her vision went fuzzy. Mal barely had time to mourn the signs of her impending unconsciousness before everything suddenly went black and very, very silent.

* * *

"Is this going to be your entire reign?" General DoGood growled, pacing behind Ben and Mal's chairs as the court examined the report that had been distributed to each of them. "Every month, something new. We managed to go six years with the only security problem being the King's graduation night and now there's a new would-be-assassinator every other week."

Mal ducked her head down as Ben squeezed her hand. They weren't supposed to be speaking as the court examined the reports, but it was hard when General DoGood's footsteps were pounding into the floor, shaking the table and the chandelier, and making her feel like she was the villain. He paused behind her chair for a heartbeat and Mal closed her eyes as a chill ran down her spine. The sensation left her short of breath. The intense pain she'd been exposed to while on her stomach in the office had left her weak. Once again, she couldn't walk down the hall. Ben was patient, helping her everywhere even when her guards were surrounding her, but it didn't make her feel any less useless.

"It's simply not possible to keep her safe," The General declared, putting his hands on the back of Mal's chair. "She refuses to stay out of harm's way."

"I don't understand how this is my fault," Mal grit out, forcing her eyes closed. "And yeah, you managed six years of minor incidents. I don't understand why all the guards are making mistakes with me now." She turned her head to glance up at the General. Ben's hand, which had been growing warmer as he tried to suppress his tongue, slipped off of hers.

"Your squadron is one of the most highly trained-" The general began, sneering and spitting a little as he spoke.

Mal quickly cut him off. "My squadron proved themselves useful. What I'm referring to is the fact that the assassin was on the grounds at all. You're telling me that first, three delinquents from the Isle of the Lost manage to sneak past an entire battalion spread out on the grounds of a private party and then the outside guards just, what, forgot to patrol that area? Or forgot to ask what the incoming car was coming into the palace ground for? That sounds like either a major stroke of luck for the opposing team or some genius idiocy on ours."

"If anything, you should have seen the plots coming. Wasn't scheming and crime once your pastime?" The General shot back.

Ben snarled as he whipped around. His hand caught Mal's arm on the table as he shoved his chair back and stuck a finger in General DoGood's rather puce face. "Out!" He demanded in a shout. "And don't you dare come back until you figure out how you should be addressing a _Queen!"_ He lashed out with his foot and his chair went skidding across the floor with a clatter. It smashed into the wall and Mal heard a very sharp snap as someone nearby let out a little yelp of shock. The General fumed as he began the trek from hanging over Mal's seat like a reincarnated vulture to the door. As he passed from one side of the table to the other, Ben called after him. "I don't need Generals who can't find their places in my kingdom. Just because you worked for my father doesn't mean you'll work for me. You clean up your act with me or you'll clean out your office and leave because I will _never_ hear you speak to her or any other woman like that again."

The General sent a look of stone over his shoulder, but nothing broke Ben's furious stare of steel. The door opened, closed, and he was gone. Ben planted his hands on the table, still fuming. "She makes a fair point," He announced. "We shouldn't be blamed for circumstances no one could see coming."

"We're not trying to blame you," Princess Anna sighed, sounding dejected. "And while you and Mal both bring a fair fight to the table, General DoGood is also correct. There have been more security accidents with the royal family since Mal lost her title than ever before in your reign. That includes all previous accidents with Uma, Maleficent…" She shook her head. "Your father never even required his emergency guard. Not once."

"In contrast, how much progress has been made over the years?" Mal demanded. "Ever since Ben became King, Auradon-"

"We know," Melody interrupted calmly, firmly. "Ben has been a good and fair king. And you have been a good and fair queen, for the amount of time you've been able to rule." She sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "The purpose of this meeting should not be to incriminate anyone. But our legislative branch rests on our High Royal Family. We need to find some sure way of keeping you two – and Queen Mal specifically – safe."

"Is your chair sittable, Ben?" Anna asked, leaning forward a bit. The back legs of Ben's chair had snapped.

Ben balled his hands up. "I'll stand," He grit his teeth.

Anna examined him with an air of exhaustion and then turned back to the report in front of her. "The problem is clear," She announced softly. "There was a hole in security. The assailant came from the south-side servant's entrance. It's gate-checked with an ID only – no active guards. According to what your guards have been able to discover, he was present in a meeting with you back before you were queen, almost two years ago. We have no other leads as to how he knew what room you were in, but no other windows were shot."

"I was standing by the window and retrieving some files," Mal recalled in a dull, bland tone. "If he had a scope, he might have been able to see my hair, but he would have had to have known where he was looking."

"He did have a scope," Anna confirmed. "The courts will conduct their own investigation of the matter."

"Princess Anna?" Tiana's son raised his hand. "I'd like to extend that investigation to the Guards on the palace rotations. Whoever had knowledge of where the guards would be at what times or what kind of security the palace was enforcing."

"I second that motion," Chad Charming agreed, frowning deeply at his paper. "And this was in your office?"

"Yes?" Mal agreed slowly. She wasn't quite sure where Chad was going with this. Hadn't it already been clarified?

"Where were your guards?" Chad asked. He set his paper down on his stack and folded his fingers together as he looked up the table at her. Everyone's eyes followed. "Aren't you supposed to have four with you at all times?"

"They were outside the room. As soon as they heard the window break, they entered and pulled me out of harm's way," Mal explained. "I'm only required to have four when I'm meeting with someone or being escorted from place to place. I don't need them if I'm alone, with Ben, or with Belle and Adam."

Chad exhaled, pressing his fingertips to his brow, and then stared at Anna. Anna, bless her soul, looked exhausted. She shook her head. "I have no clue," She admitted. "All your protocol was followed to exactness and with the exception of the intruder managing to exploit the unguarded entrance, everything was secure. The public are typically allowed to access the grounds of the palace and the main halls with minimal pestering from the guards. It's been that way for decades. This is the first time there's been a problem of this nature."

"We can't simply continue as-is," one of the representatives from Motuni protested. "The information has already reached the public. The chance of a copycat crime occurring are simply too high."

"There has to be something we can do to increase security," Prince Aziz declared. "She has to be under Heritage Security for about seven more months. It can't be that hard to keep her alive and safe for that amount of time, right?"

"Don't jinx us," Chad grumbled. Mal curled her nails into her hands.

"We won't have any more window problems," Ben informed the room. "I'm having all our windows where we normally are replaced with bulletproof glass."

"What if someone uses the same loopholes when she's, say, on the grounds?" Tiana's son frowned. "Or even at a royal event?"

"She has four guards on hand all the time," Ben pointed out. "Four highly-trained, elite guards. Seven in all but four at every hour of the day. Even at night."

"And those four guards have performed wonderfully, so far," Anna agreed. "Aside from, of course, lack of knowledge about the Queen's medical issues leading to her remerging pain issues. However, King Ben, they weren't enough. She was still attacked. We have to figure out something to protect her."

'Move me out,' Mal thought. 'Get me away from the palace. I don't want to be here anymore.'

"We could put her location under secrecy," Ben suggested. Mal's head snapped up. "She doesn't have to be in the palace. We could move her out to a safe location and keep her out and away from the public for the next year or so."

"That would work!" Mal agreed, nodding to his proposal. And if she was alone in a secure location, that would still be considered 'alone'. Say she was in a small house on the outskirts of Auradon city, out of the way from the public roads. The guards wouldn't have to be around her all the time and she'd be able to go from place to place in her own house without having her entourage. They'd have to be within earshot, of course, but she could pretend she was alone. She could have her space.

"Have her in a different place?" Melody hummed, furrowing her brow. "Well… I don't see why not. We'd have to find a place, but-"

"What if there's a medical issue?" Tiana's son blurted out. "She has to have someone cleared to oversee her pain treatments and right now that's King Ben or one of her doctors. She's fallen before and even now, she can't stand up or sit down without her husband's help. That can only get worse as time goes on."

Silence reigned over the room. Mal's heart sank as she watched Anna nod sadly. Ben cleared his throat. "I could be with her," He proposed. "And then be back here at the palace every morning at the same time."

"No," Anna disagreed. "We can't have the King of all Auradon going into and out of a secure location like that every single day. If anyone gets a lead on you, she'd be exposed. You either stay there with her or you leave her for most of this endeavor, and forgive me, your majesty, but we all already know which one you'll pick." She picked up a pen and doodled on the margins of her report as she closed her eyes a little. "We need you here to pick up her side of things anyways. There'll be more to be done if she can't meet with people every day."

Ben's shoulders slumped and Mal closed her eyes, disappointed. She moved her hand back over to his and squeezed his hand. He didn't respond.

Anna exhaled and straightened up. "The only solution I see is to somehow increase the security we already have."

"How?" Mal's shoulder's slumped. "I already am escorted everywhere and can't even see my friends or go anywhere. What else can you take away from me?"

Ben set a hand on her shoulder. "Again, we have guards on hand at all hours. The windows are being replaced. She doesn't ever leave the palace and everywhere she goes, the rooms are checked. Security is tight enough as it is."

"We could increase ground regulations," Chad suggested. "Every vehicle in and out of the palace has to be searched, with no unchecked entrances."

"The Anniversary Gala is coming up," Ben pointed out. "We'd have to have people start arriving at least six hours beforehand if every car has to be searched."

"They have the technology to search things nowadays," Wilbur Robinson called from down the table. "San Fransokyo has been putting out all sorts of things, not to mention all my dad's things."

"Set up a machine to search cars coming in and out," Melody nodded. "And yeah, no more unchecked entrances anywhere. Maybe we should even have packages leaving and entering the building being searched in case an intruder somehow manages to send something in ahead of time."

"On that note, the mail is already being searched, right?" Chad asked, straightening up a little.

"It is," Ben affirmed, looking tight-lipped about everything. "And we can't wear everyone thin about one accident that is already being worked against to be prevented."

"One accident?" Chad repeated. "Ben, one accident would have been her office being bugged. Or her falling down the stairs once. One accident would have been the catastrophe that was your wedding. You have to acknowledge that she has had more dangerous excursions out of the palace than safe ones."

"That's not true," Ben shook his head. "We've visited Evie in the hospital, she was able to attend Auradon Prep and Evie's baby shower, not to mention the fair a few weeks ago."

"The fact you are counting out these relatively small things is not comforting, Ben," Melody raised her eyebrows. "I agree with all the changes we've made thus far. But… is there any way we can further secure the areas she'll be in? Especially for the upcoming events of the country anniversary gala and the winter solstice?"

"Do you have any wedding anniversary plans you want to make us aware of right now?" Chad asked, speaking mostly to Ben. Even though she'd been a member of the courts since six months after Ben became king and was now the queen, they still tended to address him instead of her.

Mal pressed her lips together. Her stomach was churning a little. She glanced up at Ben, and Ben sighed. "We do… but we're doing it ahead of the date before she's showing more. The day we have cleared is the 29th."

"Will you be out of the palace?" Melody asked.

"Not anymore," Tiana's son interrupted before Ben could reply. "We can't afford to have her leave the palace now, can we?"

Anna made a noise of discouragement and dropped her head onto the table. "No," She groaned. "We can't. I'm sorry, Ben. It's just this year, and next year security won't have to be so tight."

Ben exhaled. "Okay," He conceded softly. "I'll… make some calls." Mal listened to the disappointment in his tone and then got to her feet, pushing her chair out slowly.

"Where are you going?" Chad demanded, jumping up in a panic. Ben grabbed her elbow in a soft grip to keep her beside him.

"I'm not feeling well," Mal grit out. "I'm going to go down the hall to the restroom." She kissed his cheek and then pulled her arm away. Her guards took up stances around her and lead her from the room, down the hall, and towards the bathroom. She waited while they did a glance-over of the restroom, and then shut herself behind the door to slump against the wall by the sink. There, the tears came hot and fast, searing cuts down her cheeks.

Why couldn't things be easy? Why did she have to be damaged and fragile and in danger all the time? She'd thought that getting married would be her happily-ever-after but dating Ben had been nothing compared to trying to stay married to him.

She threw up again – black and smoky and tar-like signaling she needed to work harder to keep on top of her magical sickness now that she couldn't use her magic at all, and then spent several minutes in front of the mirror, carefully erasing all the marks that the tears had left on her face before her guards knocked on the door and she knew her time was up. Vanessa, who was her female guard, examined her sadly as she took up her right side, across from Viktor, Vanessa's True Love. They never showed much emotion around her, but Mal chose to believe that they were just as open as she and Ben were at home. She had to believe that at least one other person's True Love had worked out in the hopes that her own would work.

The guards escorted her back to the meeting room, opened the doors for her, and then allowed her to enter after a cursory glance of the room. Mal stood inside the entryway as the doors were shut, and a deadweight dropped into her stomach.

Ben had taken a seat in her chair and didn't look over at her. He was hunched over with a hand covering his eyes. Everyone else in the room looked like they'd finished debating and discussing, and Melody was even packing up to leave, looking disgusted and uncomfortable. Everyone avoided her gaze, and Mal knew it was bad. Very, very bad.

* * *

If it had just been the fact that she couldn't be alone in her office or her bedroom during the day or any other 'alone place', she might have been able to live with it. If it was just the fact that she wasn't allowed to touch or converse with anyone without them being searched, it might have been okay. Or even if it was only that she wasn't even allowed in certain parts of the palace. Unfortunately, it was all that and more.

She couldn't interact with anything that could hurt her – wasn't even allowed to plug a light in. Her clothes were searched before she could get dressed in case they were bugged, her phone was searched during mealtimes in case anyone dangerous had tried to contact her, and even her responsibilities as queen were lifted in favor of keeping her safe. Meaning that not only was she overcrowded, never alone, and always in pain, but also bored out of her mind. Unable to do anything. Unable to help.

Ben, consequently, became scarce. After all, their jobs were a balance mission, and when she couldn't take meetings with more people than she had guards on hand and couldn't go out of the palace and was confined to paperwork, someone had to be there to pick up on those things.

Evie arrived at one on Sunday, but Mal wasn't allowed to see her until almost three. Both Evie and Emily had to be searched and mapped into the palace system before they were allowed near the queen. And, the talk was, Evie wouldn't be allowed to visit much longer – especially if a single one of their meetings happened to go awry.

Mal could tell her best friend was agitated from down the hall before Evie even entered the room. There were pounding footsteps and a general huffing of breath before Evie kicked the door open with her foot and Mal's four guards rose to watch the blue-haired Isle girl enter, balancing the edge of the door with her foot and holding a packet of papers in one hand and the handle to Emily's carrier in the other. "This is ridiculous!" She spat, walking over to set the carrier down by the couch and turning it with her foot. "How do you live like this?"

Mal scoffed without a single legible response. "I don't," She shrugged. "Mine's worse."

Evie's eyes softened a little, but she still looked irritated as she unbuckled her daughter and pulled her out to set on her leg. Little Emily's eyes were rimmed red, meaning she'd probably started crying at some point in the searching process, and Mal was surprised that Evie had managed to stay together at all. She'd expected her friend to completely lose it. Visiting Capital Residence One wasn't exactly a fun experience anymore. People who came through were confused by the sudden increase in security even though news of the window shooter had reached the public. Rumors were swirling - and some of them were true. Some conspiracy theorists were guessing that the reason for all the extra security was that the Queen was now on Heritage Guard.

"How are you?" Evie asked, laying Emily in her lap and then reaching for some papers. "Handling everything okay?"

Mal sighed and shook her head. She pressed a hand to her forehead and closed her eyes. "Ugh, I'm sure you heard about the shooter up here trying to kill me? Everything has been insane since then. Ben is considering firing the general because he keeps getting angry at me for always finding some sort of trouble."

"You don't cause trouble," Evie protested. She began fishing in her bag for a bottle for Emily with a roll of her eyes. "It's not your fault everything seems to happen to you."

Mal shrugged. "Yeah, but it's still happening to me. I mean, Ben went from coronation to now without a single attack or incident or anything. My reign literally started with me being stabbed. And, going before that, I was involved in an accident with the former king, had dozens of protestors show up against me, got pregnant, etc..." She shook her head and felt her spinal column twist. The stress of late was making her even more sensitive. "I kinda see what he's talking about, but the way he's attacking me for everything is unfair. If anything, these people are exploiting his soldiers, so he's more at fault than we are, but every time he gets angry the blame is somehow heaped on us."

Evie sighed. "Well, how have things been with you and Ben?" She asked, laying Emily across her arm and then uncapping the bottle with one hand. She raised the plastic tip to her daughter's mouth and Mal was momentarily caught up in a moment of deja vu. Was she really old enough to take a bottle already?

"I'm pregnant," Mal confided, running a hand for her hair. "That's why, uh, everything is awful." She waved her hand around her as if to further apologize for everything Evie had just hauled her baby through. "Ben's... excited? Worried? We're both, uh, being pretty careful."

"Well, uh, that's great?" Evie looked a little breathless. "I had a feeling you wouldn't have much trouble. And you're, uh, okay? Talking and yeah?"

"We talk," Mal agreed. "But not a lot of time has gone by. He tries to talk about it with me but he doesn't exactly want to think about it a lot. Like, he doesn't want me to bottle it up and he wants to be informed, but he hates hearing about the predictions my doctors are making."

"Yeah," Evie hummed, not really agreeing but only acknowledging that Mal had spoken. "Scary," she whispered.

Mal watched Emily glance around, mainly focusing on her mom, with wide eyes. She rubbed her hands together and then held them out. "Can I hold her for a moment?" She asked.

"No!" One of the guards jumped forward and blocked her hands. "No, no, you can't. What if she has something on her skin?"

Evie's face twisted in insult. Mal frowned. "Wouldn't you have caught it as they came in? They were being searched for two hours - if you missed something on her skin then I think that's an issue all by itself."

"It's possible," Another guard agreed, examining Emily suspiciously. "And even if not, you shouldn't be straining yourself."

"Straining myself?" Mal demanded, voice rising a little. "No, this is ridiculous. You can't stop me from holding my goddaughter. I can't believe - I was raised on the Isle of the Lost! I'm not a princess! Stop treating me like glass!"

"M," Evie reached out and put a hand on Mal's, and it was as if the gates of chaos had opened up. The guards snapped into action, grabbed Evie by the shoulders, and pulled her back. Emily slipped out of Evie's arms and began to roll to the ground, causing Mal to panic and reach out to stop the little girl before she could roll off the couch and hit her head against the coffee table or the floor. Evie shrieked and struggled against the guards as they shouted meaningless, incoherent commands at each other.

"What is wrong with you?" Mal demanded in a shout. "Let her go!"

Evie ripped her arms out of the guards' holds and took Emily up into her arms, balancing her against her shoulder as Emily began to cry. Mal held her hand up, waiting for something to do, and then slowly let her palms fall back onto her knees.

"We told you not to touch her," One of the guards growled.

"She was falling!" Mal snapped. "If she'd hit her head in the wrong spot, then we could be dealing with a whole lot more than crying on our hands. You realize law enforcement officers have been sued for accidentally killing babies by doing just that, right?"

"Better her than you," A guard replied immediately before realizing that it was probably not the best thing to say while the mother was still cradling her sobbing infant. Evie's face turned puce.

The door opened and Mal's other three guards - including Viktor and Vanessa - appeared. "What's going on?" They demanded.

"She touched the queen and we pulled her arms back, causing her to drop the child," A guard who had previously not spoken up explained. "We had previously declined her request to hold the baby."

"This is ridiculous!" Mal hissed, planting her hands on the couch and then forcing herself to get up. "You can't stop me from living my life! You can't keep me away from, well, everything!" As she rose, her back popped twice in sharp cracks that made everyone gasp and reach out to support her.

"If you want to go to the courts and argue your right to keep yourself safe, feel free," Viktor replied, leaning over the back of the couch to examine Emily and ensure she was okay. "It'll be less work for us anyways. We don't make the rules, Queen Mal, we only enforce them."

"We can't allow you to come into contact with anyone not cleared," Vanessa explained. "Ben is cleared, so is Belle. Evie and her daughter are not."

"And Adam?" Evie asked, furrowing her brow. Vanessa shook her head as Mal blinked in shock. She hadn't known that. She wasn't allowed to even touch her father-in-law?

"What was the purpose of those two hours, then?" Mal demanded. "I thought she was cleared?"

"She's cleared for palace entry," Vanessa shook her head. "Not for contact with the queen."

Evie shook her head furiously as if she were arguing with a voice in her head. "This is ridiculous," She declared, leaning down and putting Emily safely into her carrier. "I'm sorry, this is ridiculous. I won't be bringing her back up. She's not even one and she's already a criminal in your eyes. As for me..." She looked over at Mal with an apology in her eyes. "I don't know if it's worth it for me to leave my family for so long to come up and not be allowed to do anything or touch anything... I can barely interact with you."

Mal's heart dropped into her stomach. "Evie..." She trailed off, knowing that it was selfish of her to ask Evie to keep coming up. She wasn't allowed to see anyone - couldn't even talk with anyone anymore. No one could come in and no one could touch her and, god, the Isle of the Lost had never been this constrictive.

Evie shook her head and stood up. "I'm sorry Mal. Let's talk about it later. I want to go home now."

"All of her calls will be listened in on from here on out," Viktor reminded Evie of another rule Mal had forgotten. "Her phone is bugged so we'll receive all her texts and calls for her before they'll be connected to her."

Evie stood motionless, staring at them as if she hoped they would burst into laughter and yell "Sike!". Mal felt like crying as Evie shook her head and then walked away with a huff of disappointment. Mal watched her friend walk away and the guards let her out of the room.

Vanessa reached out and touched her arm. "Want to go up to your room?" She whispered.

"What's the point?" Mal asked softly. "I can't be alone there. Not until Ben gets off tonight." He'd be off earlier since it was a Sunday, but…

Vanessa opened her mouth and then closed it again. Her most open-minded, kindest guard had nothing to offer her. Mal shook her head. "Yes," She agreed. "Let's go up."

Two guards took her elbows for extra support and the other guards took up guard around her. They began the long, slow trek up to her room. Every step twisted Mal's side and caused her to spiral even further into her guilt. When had everything gotten to the point that they were searching babies for dangerous things?

The guards unlocked her door for her and then entered to search it while she waited outside, growing more and more faint. Finally, they allowed her to enter, and one of the officers went to her nightstand to examine her collection of medicines. "Do you need any of these?" He asked.

Mal shook her head. The thought of taking another pill ever made her want to throw up. What had happened to the Mal who'd never needed a doctor? Who hated medicines and who could deal with any pain?

She closed her eyes. "I'm going to use the restroom," She announced, brushing her hands on her hips as if there was some dust or dirt there, and then taking a step there. They nodded, releasing her, and she stepped into the tiled room and shut the door behind her. Then, she clicked the lock as softly as she could.

Finally, alone. Mal closed her eyes and covered her face. What had happened to her? Why hadn't she recovered yet? She used to get beat up all the time on the Isle… used to always recover within a few months. Now… it was like she was a different person.

Mal braced her hands on the counter and forced herself to meet her reflection's eyes. A different person. A different girl. Someone soft and delicate and matronly. A princess. A prissy pink-skinned princess with perfect makeup and a perfect positive attitude. A particular sort of patronizing politician with persistent pains and persevering problems. Perfectly pitiful.

Mal began to hastily open drawers. A cold sweat had broken out on her brow and her brain felt like it was developing running cramps all over it. She and Ben didn't use all that many products – deodorant, cologne for him, hair gel for him, hairspray that they sometimes shared, etc. She had a wide collection of scented lotions and perfumes and bubble baths that people gave her for royal events, but those were all used more by him than by her. Or, if she was lucky, they'd take a shower together and use an entire bottle to flood the bathroom so that – whoops! – they had to clean up their mess together.

Near the back of the under-the-sink cabinet lay a stash of never-before-used products and tools. Extra curling irons in white and gold, pomade in shades that didn't match Ben's hair, rollers, and a couple of unique items such as a curling iron/hairbrush/blowdryer combo. Underneath a random package of light brown hair dye and pressed against the piping that led to the sink, she found a Velcro package. She ripped it open, ignoring the awful sound, and heard a knock at the door.

"Queen Mal?" Someone called. "Is everything alright?"

"Yes!" Mal called back. "I'm, uh, looking for toilet paper. Please hold."

Inside the package were a number of horror tools. Nail clippers and cuticle clippers and a scary silver thing with a flat point that was meant to push extra skin off of your nail were crowded inside. And a pair of scissors. A pair of scissors that she pried out with two fingers and cut herself on. A pair of scissors that she slipped onto her fingertips, ignoring the cut. A pair of scissors that felt balanced and deadly and… right in her hands.

Without really thinking, Mal raised the scissors to her chin and began to _snip, snip, snip_ away at the purple. She squeezed her eyes shut and imagined someone with a deadly stare, with a rigid stance, and with a sharp, powerful haircut. Not princess waves. Not comfort-softened slouches. Not this; not her.

The scissors jabbed into her cheek and took blood with them, but she continued chopping through the thick red liquid. The hair caught in the joint of the scissors, so she yanked a few locks out and then kept going towards her neck, ignoring the grinding and squeaking sounds as they came.

One slip. One drop of her hand and one mistake. The tip of the scissors would go through that _one point_ on her neck and then she wouldn't ever have to explain anything to the soldiers outside. She wouldn't have to explain herself ever again.

She wouldn't even have to explain anything to herself.

Someone tried the door, found it locked, and knocked. It was not a soldier – that much Mal could tell from the sound of skin alone. "Mal?" Ben called from the other side. "What's going on?"

Mal let out a little gasp and lurched to her knees, letting out a little cry as she rushed her torso to meet up with her motion. Ben tried the door again upon hearing the sound. "Are you on the floor?" He asked, probably deciphering her location from the point of her voice.

Mal tried to slide her fingers out of the scissors but the blood had dried on her hands and now they were stuck, feeling heavy and brittle and still so right. She flicked her fingers to remove them and the metal shears went flying across the tiled floor, clattering against the bathtub before sliding into the center of the room with a screech. Mal heard people leaping into action behind the door as Ben knocked again, harder, begging her for entrance. "Mal?" He called.

She ran her hands through her hair. There were damaged ends from the grinding and the twisting and more layers and levels than the Auradon City skyline. Some parts ended around her ears. Others fell centimeters past her chin. She felt like a battered doll. A doll that had been cut open by some cruel and disturbed child who, after ruining everything she had inside of her, had finally come to destroy her image. She was sitting, shaking in a harrowing field of purple that was itching down her shirt and sticking in her blood and-

Something clattered on the other side of the door and a gap appeared between the knob and the wood. They had taken off the handle on the other side and were trying to unlock the door. Mal panicked. "No! Don't come in!" She gasped.

The door opened nonetheless. The guards all had their gazes averted for her privacy but Ben was standing slightly to the side and staring intently at the scene before him. The blood on the floor, on her clothes, in her hair…

Mal couldn't look at him. There was a mess of their products around her and bloody scissors on the floor and, really, what else was there to say? The right side of her hair had been snipped away and the left made for an odd 'before-after' demonstration. She collapsed against the sides of the open cabinets and stared forlornly at a twice-used container of pomade that actually did match Ben's hair color.

"I'm sorry," She whispered. "I was just trying to remember myself."

A few of the guards let out breaths and Mal could see in the reflection of the mirror decoration hanging beside the bathtub that Ben had covered his lower face with his hands, staring through his fingertips as blood continued dripping onto her shirt.

Silence. So much silence and the silence of no one knowing anything and no one knowing what to do. The silence of disappointment and 'how could you have done this' and 'you never would have done this on the Isle' and 'Queens don't do things like this.'

"Take care of her," Ben finally commanded, dropping his hands and closing his eyes. "Treat her cheek and find someone to fix her hair. I'm calling Anna."

* * *

The general was slightly less aggressive when he didn't have a room full of men to impress. Mal had always liked office meetings more than committee meetings because they were more similar to how things would be settled on the Isle, except she wasn't allowed to make threats and usually had to sit down. At this particular one, it seemed she was being offered up as merely evidence; a show, a demonstration. They were all sat at a circular table in a grey-painted room with no windows but with one very large portrait of Ben's great-grandpa riding into battle with the same sword that was now kept in a secret safe in their room. It was only her, Ben standing at her left, General DoGood stewing with his arms crossed next to him, Princess Anna across the table from her, and Viktor and Vanessa, who didn't look anything like a couple as they sat with rigid, professional positions.

General DoGood watched Ben drop his papers onto the table; his thesis, his position, his argument. It was about four inches high and had all been assembled in under a day. Mal watched him squint at it and wondered if the man had ever felt anything but rage, suspicion, and defensiveness all his life.

"We need to fix the Heritage Protection Mal is under," Ben declared. "It is unacceptable and I'm using my position to reject it. We're coming up with something new right now."

"You already tried to override it once," Anna mumbled, closing her eyes and rubbing her head. "Unless you have any critical, hard-hitting evidence, we have to maintain it."

"It fails to keep her safe and healthy," Ben announced his position and Mal furrowed her brow. Wasn't that the argument that had gotten her into this mess? Ben gestured to her cheek. "It doesn't account for her mental, emotional, or social health. I have thirty-four individual studies here from all over Auradon that prove people heal better, maintain better physical health, and even are more likely to carry to term when there is a balance between all aspects of health. Most notably, this one from two years ago." Ben pulled a blue folder out of the stack and slapped it into the center of the table. "High levels of maternal anxiety have a significant relation with mental disorders, emotional problems, lack of concentration and hyperactivity and impaired cognitive development of children. Increased stress hormones like Corticotrophin particularly Cortisol and androgens lead to cognitive changes, changes in language development, and may even affect speech in girls."

Mal's eyebrows shot up as he read directly off the page. Only the last few years of training her eyes to legal documents allowed her to understand a single thing in her state of mental frenzy. Was Ben seriously arguing her freedom based on the learning and focus abilities of their future kid?

Would that work?

"Furthermore," Ben continued, finger still pressed against the page as he read. "High anxiety and stress levels lead to strained mother-child relationships and may also damage the nervous system's growth and development. It may give rise to coronary disease and a reduction of heart rate variability." He flipped the packet around and slid it to Anna. "In short, you want a healthy heir to the throne, you're going to avoid adding to her stress levels."

"And what do you propose for her physical health?" General DoGood snorted. "She doesn't even keep herself healthy. She's her own danger! What are we to do if she trips down another flight of stairs or stabs herself through with another pair of scissors?"

Ben shook his head and began sorting through papers for a notebook. "The only time Mal will be interacting with stairs for the next eight or nine months will be the Anniversary Gala. Here's my proposal: She's allowed to go around on floors three and five – the office floor and our bedroom's floor. Those areas are blocked off to anyone not cleared by her Heritage Guard squad. There's bulletproof glass and we can put thumbprint scans on the doors so no one can sneak in. You'll need a password to reach the floors from the elevators. Everything will be searched routinely at night or, in the case of our room, when we're gone. We're going to clear three friends, her goddaughter, my parents, and her doctors to be in direct contact with her. Whenever anyone else is involved, she'll have to have her squad."

"And what if the doctors try to kill her?" the general asked, stroking his chin.

Ben stuck out a thumb to Viktor and Vanessa. "What if they try to kill her?" He asked. "What if I try to kill her? We're not going to guard her against people who hold perpetually no threat. We're going to guard against people we don't know."

"I agree with General DoGood, actually," Anna announced. "You realize that assuming danger won't come from a certain direction is how people get killed, right Ben?"

"What if one of the servants leave something dangerous in those rooms?" Viktor asked. "What if someone manages to sneak through?"

"What if that happens now, even with all the security we have?" Ben countered. "It'd be a heck of a lot more embarrassing for you, for starters. Let's be real, this new system has already almost killed a four-month-old and failed to account for Mal going absolutely insane in her solitude. It'll kill her and I and about seven other people by the time the baby is actually set to arrive if we keep it."

"I'm sorry, are you basing this on our potential embarrassment, her hurt feelings and a perfectly justified response?" General DoGood demanded, standing up and beginning to pace behind his chair. "At the very least, there hasn't been an attempt on her life yet."

"We went months without an attempt on her life," Ben hissed. "There have been two attempts. Granted there were other incidents, but two attempts on her life. Now, General DoGood, none of those 'incidents' occurred within an hour of each other. Under this system, it did."

"I see your points, Ben," Anna declared wearily. "But could it be that you just need more time to settle into a new system?"

"Could it have been that when Elsa froze Arendelle over, you just needed to settle into a new climate?" Ben returned.

Anna pinched her lips together and examined the king with an icy glare reminiscent of her sister. "I think we need to give it at least another week, to ensure things." Her gaze flicked over to Mal. "That doesn't mean you get to randomly attack yourself to try and prove us wrong."

Mal watched Ben's fists clench and a thick forest fire alight in his gaze. "I will take this to the public," He threatened. "And I will publicly prosecute the courts for endangering the Queen of Auradon. Mental health is a huge topic in politics right now… I wonder how many people would decide to stand behind you once I drop the bombshell of what's been going on?" He gestured to Mal's cheek and her new haircut.

Anna stood up, digging her nails into the table. "I wonder how many people would rally for a new queen if you did that? She's already got a cult of doubters tracing her every political move. A villainess's daughter, permanently injured, and now mentally _broken_."

"You know that's not what'll happen, but I enjoy the vision, Anna. Really." Ben crossed his arms as little growls escaped his throat with the words. "What's next, you'll expose my workday schedule to try and gain sympathy for all the courts do? Good luck with that."

"I could make things difficult for you, Ben," Anna hissed, holding aloft a finger and waving it a little at him.

"You don't want to know what I can do to you," Ben promised.

Anna slapped the table, making Ben's perfect stack of evidence topple a little bit to Mal's direction. "Go ahead and try!" She declared. "You pull too many strings and you'll be running around in circles about your little office, trying to tell people you're not corrupt while everyone already thinks you're bypassing the law for her. I wonder how long it'd be until you're issued an official pause and then the courts gain the advantage."

Mal was reminded of the night of her engagement as she sat and stared at the wood grains in the table. She didn't dare speak, knowing she'd make the situation worse, but wondered what Ben's next move would be.

"Okay Anna," Ben huffed. "Listen here and listen closely. I think I can win this game of legal hoops. I think I hold more sway considering I've had such a long reign of good ruling and the fact most of Auradon doesn't have a problem with Mal and feels sympathy with her. Most of the other royals feel worse for her than they will for you if you try and fight back. But on the slight chance you do manage to outvote me, we're stopping this whole escapade. If you're not going to put my wife's overall health into consideration – not just her safety and her healing – then I will. We'll terminate pregnancy before she lives under these systems for another week."

Mal's mouth fell open with a pop and she leaned forward, ignoring the intense pain, to stare at Ben's face. He didn't glance down at her. He only held a rigid, intense position as Anna's mouth fell open in shock and surprise. "What?" She sputtered.

Viktor and Vanessa's eyes were wide and Mal could tell from their stance alone that Vanessa had taken Viktor's hand under the table. How many times had she done that with her own True Love? Meanwhile, General DoGood's face had broken apart to reveal an expression Mal had never seen on him – fear. Ben had been correct; the social stigma around royal abortions was powerful.

Ben pressed a finger into his stack of papers. "If you don't fix this, we're done. I'm not going to let you destroy her," He declared softly, slowly.

The others wouldn't notice it; they didn't know him. But Mal saw the green tones climb into Ben's cheeks. She saw the hunched position of his spine that he always did when he was trying to not shake, and she saw the broken light in his eyes. If Anna called his bluff, he wouldn't be able to follow through. That meant it would be up to her. Up to her to get rid of the baby that she had actually planned for.

Anna blinked at Ben and then her eyes drifted over to Mal. "You wouldn't," She gasped, staring at her. "Would you?"

Mal shut away her surprise and astonishment at Ben's declaration and then folded her arms across herself and shrugged as if his words had her full support now that she'd thought about it. "I was the one to suggest an abortion back before my coronation," She announced and watched everyone – General DoGood, Viktor, Vanessa, Anna, and even Ben – flinch a little. "I don't see why not," Mal continued. "I mean, so far, I've been pretty lucky about getting pregnant. We could always hold out on the courts for a future to their existence."

"I give!" Anna gasped, taking her hands back from the table and holding them up into the air. "We'll fix it."

"Splendid," Ben sighed, dropping his defenses and slumping into the chair next to her. Mal felt like gasping for breath as, suddenly, dozens of weights were lifted off of her. She reached for his hand and couldn't stop a smile from breaking out as his fingers twisted against her own and he squeezed, hard.

* * *

"Are you okay?"

Mal looked up at the question and was surprised to see that, for once, it was not Ben asking. Instead, it was Adam, who looked fairly sick. He had a thin white shirt on and Mal could see medical tape and wires underneath his shirt.

"I am," she affirmed and pushed herself to her feet so she could take his arm and guide him into the room. He took a seat beside her on her and Ben's bed. God, it was nice to be able to touch people again. "How's your chest?"

"It feels tight," Adam coughed, raising a hand to cough into it. "They keep poking things in me." He gave a distant gesture at her torso and then said in a strained voice: "How are your wounds?"

"Fine," Mal assured him. "Today is a good day."

Adam sighed and slumped forward as he put a hand on her knee for balance. It fell a little high on her leg, but her father-in-law took a few deep breaths before moving it back down and Mal knew it had not been meant to mean anything. "I heard someone say that years ago," He muttered. "They were a cancer patient in a hospital I was visiting. Goodness… was Ben even born then? He might have been a baby. But they told me they were having a good day that day and it sounded so poetic at the time. Like they were choosing to have a good day through the struggle. But god, this isn't a choice. It's a war."

"I know," Mal nodded and ran a finger across the old wounds through her shirt. "Today… I can kind of feel the echoes of my heartbeat down my spine. And it's a painful stretch when I move. And when I'm sitting here, it stings. But it's manageable. I mean, I went to work today, so…" She sighed. "I didn't do as much as I should have, but I did what I could."

"I understand," Adam agreed. "Belle keeps laying out outfits for me and helping me along wherever we go. And it's nice, but I also wish she wouldn't and that I could do it without the extra help."

Mal nods along to his words. His hand tightens on her knee a little bit. "Our anniversary is coming up," she whispered to Adam. "And the gala too. We have plans to announce to the kingdom then… but we probably won't be able to go anywhere for our anniversary and I know Ben is bummed out. I just wish… I could be as much for him as he is for me. I always feel like I'm coming up short in our relationship."

"I wouldn't say so," Adam told her. "You do all the work you're allowed and you put things he forgets where he'll remember them. He hasn't forgotten to grab his office keys once since you were put on rest, I know. You pitch in where you're allowed and then more."

"But I can't go anywhere," Mal turned to look at him. "He's got to pick up all my stuff I'm not allowed to do. And I'm not exactly… fun lately. I can't go and do things with him as well."

"I get it," Adam agreed. "But that doesn't mean you come up short. It just means you come up in different ways."

Mal hummed and accepted this with a sigh. "So, what happened to you? Last I saw you, you were walking just fine."

Adam sighed. "Pain just set in," he shrugged. "We're trying to figure out what's going on. I'm in the same boat as you… lots of doctors… we're not sure yet."

"I see." Mal put her hand on top of Adam's and squeezed. "Well. Good luck."

"And to you as well," He nodded.

A knock came from the door. Both adults looked up and Mal smiled to see Ben hovering outside. "You're back," she noted. "Everything okay?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded, stepping in and then reaching for his coat hanging on the door. "We're getting new security cards magnetized so I need mine. Where's yours?"

"I can get it," Mal released Adam's hand and slid off the bed. Her feet hit the ground a little too hard and she almost collapsed when her spine absorbed the brunt of the impact for her. Ben immediately jumped forward to catch her.

"Careful!" He snapped, helping her to balance her weight. "Geesh, Mal, be careful. Just tell me where it is, love, and I'll find it for you."

Mal leaned back against the bed. "I can get it," she gasped. "It's just over-" She broke away from Ben and walked around the bed to where her nightstand was. He, of course, followed her. The drawer slid open and Mal felt around the outer edge until she found the card propped against the drawer walls. "Here," she replied, shuffling around and handing it to him. Ben nodded and tucked both cards into his pocket. He turned to face Adam.

"Are you feeling alright?" he asked.

Adam nodded without changing his expression. Ben looped his arm through Mal's and guided her to sit back down. She didn't protest. Ben put a hand to her cheek and then touched Adam's shoulder as some sort of consolation before he began withdrawing quickly. "Get some rest, both of you," he instructed. "I have to run back up to my office… I'll see you both later."

And he vanished.

Adam sighed and shook his head. "Where have the days gone?" he whispered and replaced the hand on Mal's knee. "I wish… I wish he hadn't grown up so fast."

Mal sighed. "I just wish I could get over this faster, so I can value the time I have left with him."

* * *

For the first time in months, they had to rebind her waist. Mal had forgotten how much bandages itched. And this dress, which had been designed to be very comfortable, was not helping matters. It was tight-fit around her shoulders and stomach, which was the reason they'd had to wrap her wounds in the first place – they didn't want the fabric hurting her wounds.

It had been a year since she'd become engaged. And tonight was the gallery repeat. For the first time in nine years of being here, she wasn't opening the party. Tonight, that was Anna's job.

They broke tradition so Mal wouldn't have to go down the stairs and were announced at the base of the steps. Like last year, the room was packed. Thousands of people's heads swiveled as her name was called and Mal saw the nerves of every guard within twenty yards tighten in their heads. She had an entourage of four, who cleared a wide circle around her and Ben. Fifty others were scattered into the vicinity.

On the bright side, she was allowed to leave early this year. She was going to go back to her room after twenty minutes, long enough to do her part, and Ben would come back to join the party. He liked parties enough, and Mal hoped he would have a nice time and that he'd find a few people to dance with and that he wouldn't feel any resentment that she could no longer serve as a very effective dance partner. He assured her that he didn't, but she still worried.

"Princess Anna of Arendelle, representing the High Courts," Cogsworth declared. His voice was shakier than last year. He, too, must be ill.

Anna appeared at the top of the staircase, blushing a little and stumbling as he reached into her pocket for the part of the speech she was allowed to rehearse, not read. Someone handed her a microphone and Mal found herself mouthing the words as Anna opened up the party.

Ben guided her back to the refreshments table and handed her a drink. She tuned out the rest of what Anna was saying as she finished, and then the party began. A few people tried to approach them to talk to Ben. Occasionally, he would let go of her to step out of her circle of protection, then come back after the conversation was finished. Anyone who wanted to talk to Mal was forced to resort to calling from a few feet away.

People were exchanging looks of confusion. Why had she come if no one was being allowed to talk to her? Mal tried her best to keep her smile on her face, but it became harder with every hand Ben stopped to shake and every person who tried to say hello to her. She'd never thought she'd missed having her hand shaken and kissed so much.

About a half-hour into the party, Cogsworth's intercom crackled again. Ben immediately broke off his conversation and took Mal's arm to lead her up to the front. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Cogsworth called. "Your attention please."

Ben helped Mal up one step and then they turned to see the crowds as a guard passed a microphone to him and her. Mal could see how tense they were – how worried they were for this announcement.

"Good evening," Ben smiled and waved out over the scattered crowds. "We're sorry to interrupt your party. Promise it won't happen next year."

People laughed. This was, after all, the same time he'd interrupted last year. Mal squeezed his hand. Ben cleared his throat. "We chose tonight to make a special announcement to Auradon, Mal and I. It's been a year since she agreed to marry me and lots has happened. There's been a lot of mayhem and for us, it's not about to stop."

A guard took a threatening step toward the right side of the staircase. Mal didn't see who was there.

"We'd like to announce that the arrival of the new heir of Auradon," Ben began and gasps echoed around the room. He was cut off by a clattering chorus of excited calls and angry shouts. Then arguments – people began yelling at each other. People were mad that other people were mad, excited, reacting. Ben tapped his microphone. He knew they couldn't drag this out. "Excuse me. As I was saying, the new heir of Auradon will arrive in early June. That is all. Thank you."

Guards seized Mal's arms to forcibly help her off the one step before releasing her. Four more appeared out of thin air, surrounding her as people surged forward with hands outstretched to congratulate them. Mal's hand was numb as Ben squeezed it. They were moving her towards the doors quickly. Ben was helping them – why did they want her out so badly?

They got her into the hall and, instead of taking her back to the elevator, pushed her into a tiny little room which held nothing save a few chairs and a round table. One of the guards began feeling up the back panels of the room, looking for what Mal presumed was an entrance to a secret passage. Passages extended around the castle, of course. The guards had notes on all of them, but she doubted anyone besides the computer – even Ben – knew where they all were. Sure enough, a panel clicked.

"What's going on?" Mal asked.

On cue, a shot rang in the hall. A bullet ricocheted off the wall. Ben pressed his lips together, but none of her guards seemed too concerned. The situation was under control. Mal could hear a shouted argument down the hall over the squawks of the panicked guests. Then her guards hauled someone past the room – a man in dark blue with blood dripping from his lip – and more followed with his confiscated rifle.

"An assassination attempt," Ben mumbled in her ear. "They're screening the crowds and seeing who he came in with and if anyone else is dressed like him. Then they'll let me go in. You can come back too if you want."

"No thanks," Mal's stomach turned as she heard the guards wrestling the crook into the elevator down the hall. That was why they were taking her into this room – they were apprehending him.

"Your Majesties?" The guards asked, stepping aside to reveal a secret box inside the wall. "This is one of the servant's hidden elevators. It'll take you straight up to your hallway."

"Thank you," Ben nodded. He took her hands and together, they stepped into the box. It was a tight fit, but the doors closed behind them and Mal felt the elevator begin to move slowly upwards. It occurred to her that, for the first time in a long time, they were alone. And more than alone, they had had a successful evasion of an accident. The guests had barely even realized what was going on. And their security had worked.

She could feel Ben's grin as it burned through the dark to her. His mouth pressed against her cheek, hot with victory. She began to laugh. Her stomach ached against the bindings, but it felt like a good ache. A success.

She pulled Ben down by the shoulders. His mouth felt even hotter against her own. Her mouth was hot. His mouth was hot. Her skin was hot. His skin was hot.

"Are you trying to convince me to stay?" Ben chuckled as they felt the elevator slow to a stop.

"No," Mal shook her head, and this time felt sure of her response. "Go to the party, Ben. Go enjoy yourself. Go talk to people." She kissed his cheek. "I'll be up here."

The elevator doors opened. Two guards, Viktor and Vanessa, were waiting for her. Mal parted from Ben and smiled. He still didn't look too sure.

"What will you do?" he asked, folding his arms and frowning.

Mal gestured down the hall vaguely. "Well, now that I'm allowed to interact with lead and charcoal, I might go draw a little. You know, do things I'd do if I didn't have to tag along with you to everything, which I don't."

Ben smiled. "I won't be long tonight," he promised. "Maybe an hour or two, then I'll come sit with you while you draw."

"That'd be nice," Mal smiled. It felt like something they'd have done at nineteen, after graduation. Ben would get off work and head down to spend evenings in Mal's room with the door open and his head on her belly as she drew anything that came to mind. Evie would poke her head in to coo and make snappy comments and Ben would chuckle and go through the news on his phone. Not saying anything. Just being near. And this was like that, except it also felt like she was escaping.

She kissed his cheek one more time and then the elevator closed and began to descend again. And she was able to turn back and walk to her room, pretending things were almost the way they'd been long ago.


End file.
